


Peter Pan and Wendy Turned Out Fine

by arimi_skywalker



Category: Arashi - Fandom, Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Escorts, Drama & Romance, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-20
Updated: 2013-09-25
Packaged: 2017-12-27 16:59:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 36,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arimi_skywalker/pseuds/arimi_skywalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aiba

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

Sho-chan's eyes were wide open.

"What is this?", he asked, without looking away from the computer screen.

Against the black background, white letters outlined the rules and protocol to follow, as well as the names and profiles of our team of escorts. I could tell Sho-chan would have never imagined I was involved in that world, even when I was only helping out as an assistant.

"It's the website I've been working on", I explained.

He grabbed the mouse and navigated the website, without taking his eyes off the screen, muttering things I couldn't understand. When he reached the profiles tab, his eyes widened even more and he looked at me, stunned.

"But... this is a website for... for..."

"For escorts", I replied. "Luxury companions"

My friend raised an eyebrow.

"Luxury companions? Is that what they're calling them now?"

"They aren't only in the sex business. They also provide company to people who feel lonely"

My friend didn't respond and focused his attention on the computer screen again. He changed the tab again, and stopped to read the information and guidelines. All the rules that customers had to follow if they wanted to hire any of my three bosses were listed there.

"Where did you get all this information?", he asked.

"Remember I told you about that guy I'm seeing?"

Sho-chan nodded and I pointed to the computer screen, which was displaying the profile tab again.

_Versace. 28 years old. Bisexual._

"Eh?", he looked back at me, this time as if my face were green. "Are you hiring one of them?!"

Sho-chan's eyes couldn't be any wider than they were in that moment. I sighed.

"Yes", I replied. "And now that you mention it, I think it'd be good for you to hire one too"

"One, what?", he blinked.

"An escort"

"You're crazy", he replied, shaking his head.

It was not something that had suddenly occurred to me. I'd been thinking for weeks that hiring an escort might be the solution to Sho-chan's loneliness. He thought that world was horrible, but I knew once he got to know my three bosses, he would change his mind. Sho-chan, even when he was a little exaggerated in his initial reactions, had a kind heart and could see the good in people, and my three bosses were special. Since meeting them, I had realized they all shone brightly and each had their own different charm.

"Why?", I said. "Things have gotten better for me since I started seeing J... er... Versace. And don't try to tell me it's because of the money, I know that's not a problem for you"

I was so used to sharing everything with Sho-chan that it almost slipped from my lips that the real name of Versace, the escort I had been seeing for some time now, was Matsumoto Jun. I didn't like having to hide anything from the one who had been my childhood friend, but I had promised my three bosses I wouldn't reveal any of their personal information to anyone.

And anyone included Sho-chan.

"It's not about the money, Masaki. It's a matter of..."

Sho-chan looked at the screen, then back at me.

"Of what?", I asked.

He sighed and walked away from the computer.

"I'm just not that desperate. That's all"

"I know, Sho. But I know that you're lonely as well, and you're never going to be happy being this way. At least, give them a chance. Ranchuu is a very atypical escort, he's shy and quite calm; I think he'd be a good match for you"

"Masaki, stop it, please"

"But..."

"Please"

This time I was the one who sighed.

I firmly believed that Ranchuu, whom I knew as Ohno Satoshi, could help cheer Sho-chan up with his sweet and laid back personality, but I also knew that my friend wasn't going to accept my offer at that moment, as much as I insisted to. So I let it go.

"Alright", I said.

When Sho-chan left my office, a couple of hours later, I leaned back in my chair and clicked open Jun's profile again. I couldn't help but smile as I remembered the first time I saw him, several months earlier, stepping out of that taxi as he said goodbye to another man. I could still perfectly recall how my entire body shivered at the image of his slim figure strutting down the street.

I knew very well what he did for a living. I had seen many others like him thousands of times; handsome, young men, with a certain social status, who sell themselves for a few hours at prices not every pocket can reach. I'd always looked at them with a mixture of pity and contempt, but he was different. There was something about his way of looking, something in his way of facing the world that transmitted strength, confidence and a strong character, an uncommon trait in luxury companions, who are usually indulgent and discreet. Each one of his gestures and movements inevitably attracted me, like a moth to flame, and by the time I had realized it, I was practically begging him to let me spend an hour by his side.

I repeated that hour with him the next day, and the next, and the next. Soon it was extended to two hours, three hours, whole days. Every time I felt the need to spend more time with him, despite knowing that he was just doing his job.

I didn't care. I only wanted to have him by my side.

I knew nothing of his world. I didn't even know his name. I always called him Versace, his escort name, and knew I didn't have a chance to ask him about his real name. It was part of the rules. And, nevertheless, I was dying to know everything about him.

Now, all that was in the past.

Weeks earlier, one afternoon I was with Jun, I heard him talking to Ohno on the phone and found out that they were having problems with their customers' appointments. The three of them (the two of them and a third friend of theirs, Ninomiya Kazunari, who we called Nino and the customers Shadow) were only escorts in their spare time and they all had regular jobs during the day that, apparently, were preventing them from taking care of all their customers, and so they were missing appointments.

I wanted to stay in Tokyo, quit living off my image and my surname, stop making all those trips to promote different products or attend events, look for a job and settle down, and be able to spend more time with Jun. And, at the moment, I had found the perfect opportunity. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it earlier. I could help them. I'd answer the phone for them while they were busy, arrange their appointments and even find them new customers.

It was perfect.

Throughout my life, I'd always been surrounded by people with money who felt lonely more often than they would like. This was a perfect chance for me to help those people to find someone to help them to feel better, and while I was at it I would be helping Jun, Nino and Ohno to recover some of the customers they had lost over the last few months.

It wasn't easy in the beginning, but I told Jun I didn't want a salary or a commission for the new customers. Just 10% of what they earned a month was enough for me to pay for an apartment in Tokyo and to be able to live every day, and that was enough for me. He said he would check it with Nino and Ohno, but I got the impression that he wasn't very convinced.

The next morning, he called to meet me at a café.

To my surprise, sitting in front of a complete breakfast table, he told me that he had spoken with his two friends, that they had come to an agreement, and that he wanted to set the details with me as soon as possible to start working.

I couldn't believe it. Things were finally starting to go well for me.

I now had the chance to show Jun that I was more than just a pretty face, that I could be useful for something more than just showing off my smile in an advertisement, and I wasn't planning to pass it up. I was going to show him that he could count on me.

I don't know if it was my determination or my energy, but that morning he told me his real name and entrusted me with his work cellphone. I didn't want to waste any more time and got down to business immediately. I tidied up my father's old office, which was now too small for him, and established the headquarters of our new agency, _Rent Pretty Boys_ , there.

I felt like I was finally going to be happy. And I was right.

My life changed radically.

I left my parents' mansion and settled into a small apartment in Shibuya. I spent the first few days almost entirely creating the website for the agency, making sure to include every detail and rule to follow, and as soon as I presented it to my bosses and they gave their approval, I began to work on the appointments and new customers.

Everything had gone smoothly, and now they trusted me blindly. I only needed to convince Sho-chan to accept a date with Ranchuu. Showing him the website hadn't worked, so I would have to think of another way to get to him.

But it wasn't necessary.

The following afternoon, while I was at the office, organizing the dates for the guys for the next morning, the company phone rang.

"Good afternoon, this is _Rent Pretty Boys_. How may I help you?"

"Masaki, it's Sho", my friend replied in a hushed voice.

"Sho-chan! What a surprise!", I cheerfully exclaimed, almost jumping out of my chair. "Why are you calling this number? My cell is turned on", I said, checking my phone to make sure it was actually on.

"Well... you see... I've... been... thinking about what you said yesterday...", he made a small pause. "And... well... I would like... to talk to an escort..."

My heart jumped and a wide smile spread across my face.

"Eh?! Are you serious?!"

"Yeah...", he paused. "Last night, when I got home, I couldn't stop thinking, and when I got into bed, your words echoed in my mind, over and over again", he paused again and sighed. "I don't understand it myself, I'm not even sure I want to do this. My head says one thing and my heart says something completely different. I've spent the last two hours staring at the agency's website, picking up the phone and hanging it up, until I finally decided to call"

There was another pause, in which I smiled affectionately.

"Do what your heart tells you, Sho. What you're doing isn't wrong"

"I guess not..."

I think he needed to hear those words because, judging by his tone, I could tell that he had started to relax.

I smiled again, even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"Have you decided on one of them?", I asked.

"Not yet"

"Do you want me to see when is Ranchuu available?"

He was silent for a few seconds.

"No. You said Ranchuu is sweet and calm, right?"

"Yeah, I think he'd be perfect for you"

"I think I need someone with more personality. I'm shy and it's hard for me to make conversation, so if you send me someone who is shy as well, it might not work out"

"Who are you thinking about, then?"

"I've been reading the website and saw you have a service... uhm...", it seemed he was checking the website as he spoke. "Here it is. The _Surprise Escort_ "

"Ah, yeah. You get half an hour free for each hour hired"

"Truth is I'm not so concerned about that. I'm only interested because it says here that the agency will choose one of the escorts to go on the date for me"

"Yeah, our computer randomly selects among those who are available"

"Alright. I want that service"

Sho-chan had always been very much his own man when it came to his privacy, and if I sent him an escort with strong personality, he'd probably feel intimidated. He'd feel awkward, and would end the date feeling worse than he already was, but I couldn't do anything. He had decided not to take my advice on Ranchuu and let the computer choose for him.

And the computer had chosen Shadow.

 

_AN :_   
_If you want to check the website for the escorts agency - > <http://arimiskywalker.wix.com/rent-pretty-boys>_


	2. Aiba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

My heart was racing at a dizzying speed.

Sitting in the hotel room, I spent the entire afternoon imagining over and over what my companion might be like. I knew I wasn't going to calm down until I had him in front of me and could see him with my own eyes, but thinking too much was in my nature.

At five o'clock, the sound of knuckles rapping at the door made my heart jump in my chest.

"C-come in...", I said, immediately standing up, smoothing out my hair.

The door opened with a ' _Sumimasen_ ' and a tiny figure slipped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"I'm Shadow", he said with a mischievous smile on his lips.

Shadow was short and thin, moved in a self-confident way and his eyes had a certain glint to them that reflected the same expression as the smile on his lips. Shameless.

"Sakurai Sho", I replied, bowing.

Shadow left his bag on the couch to his right and took off his coat, looking me over from head to toe. I shyly approached him and handed him a wad of bills, folded in half.

"Masaki told me this is how you do it", I said, almost apologizing.

I had never hired an escort and perhaps, in their world this situation was normal, but I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable giving money to someone who had just entered my room, having hardly said but a few words to him.

"I want to make it clear that I don't kiss", he said, placing his jacket over his bag and taking the money. "If you want me to kiss you, I charge extra"

"It's fine. I only want to... talk..."

"OK. Get in the shower then. No need to get dressed again when you're finished, after all... your clothes aren't going to stay on for long anyway"

"Eh? What do you mean I don't need to get dressed again?", I blinked.

"If you're embarrassed to come out of the bathroom naked, you can put a robe on. I'll be sure to take it from you"

I turned to the bathroom and then looked at him.

"Wait...", I said. "What do you want me to take a shower for?"

"Oh, it's nothing personal. It's simply a matter of hygiene"

"Hygiene?", I raised an eyebrow. "If you want, I can brush my teeth, but I don't think it's necessary that I take a shower to talk"

"Yeah, sure, talk..."

The gleam in his eyes made me step back as he walked towards me, until my legs hit the bed and I had to sit down on it in order not to fall. Shadow, now standing in front of me, grabbed my chin and lifted my head, forcing me to look at him as he ran his hand through my hair, gently and suggestively.

"Speak, I'm listening", he said.

I swallowed hard.

"W-wouldn't it be better... to sit down?"

"You're sitting already", he smiled.

"No... I mean... the two of us..."

"OK, as you wish"

He pushed me slightly to make me lie back on the bed, then he straddled my waist, running both of his hands over my chest.

"This better?", he asked as he began unbuttoning my shirt.

I had made clear from the beginning that I only wanted to talk, but it seemed like Shadow hadn't gotten the message and it was starting to bother me. I grabbed his hands, stopping him, and looked at him with a serious expression.

"I didn't call you to have sex"

"That's what they all say...", he smiled, mocking me. "But I'm an escort, you know. In the end, every one of you wants the same..."

"I didn't call you to have sex", I insisted. "And I think it best if you leave"

His eyes widened with surprise.

"But... you've already paid me..."

"I don't care about the money"

Shadow frowned, sighed and finally released me as he stood up. I sat up on the bed, refastening the two buttons of my shirt he had undone.

"I'm sorry it had to be like this", he said, approaching the couch to grab his bag and jacket. "We could've had a good time"

"It's not my style sleeping with strangers. Even less, paying for it"

He nodded, I think as a sign of not having any intention of bothering to discuss things further.

"If you ever change your mind, call me"

"I doubt it'll ever happen"

He laughed and shook his head.

"Well, I'm off. See you", he said winking and looking me up and down once again, before leaving.

When he closed the door, I sighed with relief.

I hadn't even spent an hour with Shadow, but it had seemed like an eternity, and I had been so tense that I now was feeling exhausted. I decided to lie down on the bed and close my eyes for a spell. Without realizing it, I sank into a light sleep, from which I was awoken nearly two hours later by the chime of my phone.

I opened my eyes, still half asleep, and answered the phone.

" _Moshi-moshi_ ~", I said, rubbing my right eye.

"Sho-chan~ How was your date?"

I immediately recognized the cheerful voice on the other end of the line.

"Ah, Masaki... It was a disaster"

"A disaster? But Shadow is smart and funny..."

"He is... too straightforward... He made me feel uncomfortable"

"Ah~ I understand", Masaki's voice had some tone of empathy. "Well, don't lose hope, you still have Ranchuu"

"I don't know. Maybe, it wasn't a wise choice to hire an escort in the end"

"What are you saying, Sho? Don't give up just because it didn't turn out well once. Shadow might not be your type, but I'm sure you will like Ranchuu"

"I don't know, Masaki"

"Come on, Sho. Tell me when you're free and I'll send him your way"

I remained silent for a few seconds.

I didn't know if it was a good idea to try again.

When Shadow left the room, I thought I'd had enough and that I would never pay for someone's company ever again, but now, listening to Masaki, I realized that maybe he was right and I shouldn't give up at the first attempt.

He insisted I hire Ranchuu, but I couldn't see myself with someone who wasn't a good conversationalist, as it said in his profile. It would most likely result in another tense situation, like the one with Shadow. And I didn't want to relive that again.

"Tomorrow afternoon is good", I said. "But I don't want Ranchuu..."

"Eh?"

"Can you send Versace?"

I didn't get a reply. Only a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Masaki?", I asked, after a few minutes"

"I don't know if he's available", my friend's tone was sharp.

"Any time is fine...", I insisted.

"Yeah, but he has a lot of customers...", I heard him sigh. "Why Versace, Sho?"

"Well, you say he's awesome, and that he managed to help you"

Masaki remained silent again.

"I'll see what I can do", he finally said.

The next day at the same hotel, but in a different room, I awaited my companion for that afternoon.

When Versace knocked on the door, I opened it almost immediately. It's not that I was anxious to see him, it's just that I had been pacing around the room since I got there, restless and nervous, and he just happened to catch me near the door.

"Hello", I greeted him, looking down.

"Hello", he smiled. "May I come in?"

"Y-Yes... of course..."

I moved aside to let him in and closed the door, taking a deep breath before turning around with a tense smile trying to conceal my nerves.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine", he replied, with refined manners. "Thank you"

I was beginning to understand why Masaki considered him so special. Versace was handsome, tall, stylish, attractive... and polite. I smiled and thought that maybe my lucky day had finally arrived. At last, I was right. Finally, finally, finally.

"I'll have a whiskey", I said, approaching the wooden piece of furniture with a collection of expensive bottles inside.

"Oh. In that case, I'll join you", he corrected.

"Nice..."

I grabbed two glasses and began putting ice in them, but Versace's hand stopped me, grabbing the tongs of the ice bucket from my hands.

"Allow me", he said with a smile.

When he finished serving the two glasses of whiskey, we sat down on a couch that was on one side of the room, next to a table, and I thought that that almost perfect guy could have been the almost perfect choice for me to stop feeling lonely... except that, at some point in our conversation, he placed his hand on my thigh and caressed it in a suggestive way.

I looked at him with a serious expression, ready to avoid the same situation I had experienced with Shadow the day before.

"Versace, I didn't call you to sleep with you...", I said. "I only want to talk"

His eyes widened at my words, but he changed his expression right away and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Ah... well...", he said, taking his hand off my leg. "Let's talk then"

I could tell he was annoyed, even though he had replied politely. The tone of our conversation changed, probably because he felt rejected and that hurt his pride, and I started to feel tense again. I didn't think Versace was perfect anymore, but irritant, and when it was seven o'clock, the two of us stood up immediately, concluding the date.

When he left, I immediately grabbed my things and went home, where I waited for Masaki's call.

But I didn't get it until the next morning.

"It was awful", I said when he asked about my date. "I'm starting to think I'm too picky"

"Don't give up", my friend said. "Shadow and Versace are very different, but both have a strong character, maybe that's the problem. Listen to me once and for all and try Ranchuu. He's your type"

"I don't know if I'm willing to try again, Masaki. Besides, tomorrow I'm going on a trip to Bali, I don't have time for another date"

"How about this afternoon then? Pack your things and meet Ranchuu for a little while in the afternoon. He's totally different from Shadow and Versace. Trust me, come on"

"Do you really think it's a good idea? Yesterday and the day before were two disastrous experiences that, instead of cheering me up, made me feel worse. Now I'm beginning to think I have a serious problem"

"Trust me, Sho", he repeated. "What time do you want me to send Ranchuu over? You'll see you don't have a problem. It's just that you haven't found a suitable companion"

I sighed, resigned.

"Is he free at three?"

"He's yours at three. Shall I send him to the usual hotel?"

"No, you'd better make preparations at one of your private apartments. I'm sure I'll want to leave before my time is up, so it's not worth paying for a hotel room a third time"

"As you wish. When I settle the details with Ranchuu, I'll send you an e-mail with the address"

I arrived almost a half an hour late to my date.

I was disheartened, and this new date didn't thrill me at all. What's more, I was about to cancel it several times, but I eventually found myself driving to Gotanda, looking for the address Masaki had sent to my e-mail a few hours earlier.

As I parked my car, I wondered why I was about to meet a professional escort for a third time that week, when I clearly didn't want to hire one again.

I sighed and went up to the top floor of that luxury building, determined to put and end to that nonsense. I would pay Ranchuu the hour I had hired him, ask him to leave and call Masaki to explain that I really didn't have the will or the strength to keep on trying.

But when I opened the door to the apartment, time stopped.

A small guy, with a daydreaming appearance, traced delicate and precise lines with his pencil in a sketchbook. His hands moved deftly across the paper as he hummed a song to himself. And I thought that maybe the world wasn't such a terrible place, if someone like him existed in it.

Ranchuu wasn't an escort.

He was an angel.


	3. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

Jun and his ideas.

It had been two months since he had taken Ohno and me out to dinner in Shinjuku, where he dropped the bomb that made me frown: one of his customers had offered to lend us a hand and start working as our assistant. According to Jun, he only wanted 10% of our profits and free services in exchange, but I didn't like the idea.

At all.

I knew this Aiba Masaki, his customer, was a guy Jun had been seeing for months, which meant he wasn't a complete newbie, but I wasn't convinced by the thought of a customer poking his nose into our business.

We were escorts offering companionship and sex, not a NGO offering jobs.

Besides, Aiba didn't need it, he was rolling in dough. He was on television and magazines every week, and earned more than enough money. Truth was that he was infatuated with Jun and wanted to have him close somehow because he knew Jun would never give up his job as escort for a romantic relationship.

It made me sick.

If his idea was just a rich boy's whim, he could leave with it exactly as he had come.

"Ten percent is not that much", Jun said. "And he said he would bring in new customers. One thing compensates for the other, no?"

"Are you kidding me?", I snorted. "Ten percent of what we make just for answering our calls and arranging appointments? Did you actually stop to do the calculations?"

"Yes, I did the calculations, and as I said, I don't think it's that much if he's really going to bring in new customers. On top of that, we'll no longer have the stress of watching for our cellphones and having to turn to each other when we're asked for a service at a time we're not available"

That guy had him brainwashed.

Jun can look tough, but in the end he's such a nice person that sometimes he allows himself to be fooled far too easily. That aside, I won't deny it, I didn't like the thought of a stranger taking a piece of our profits, even if it was only 10%.

I was about to reply I'd never accept the arrangement, when Ohno beat me to it.

"Jun is right", he said.

I turned to him and glared daggers.

"What do you mean he's right?", I complained.

"Maybe it isn't that stressful for you since your working day is only in the afternoon or the morning, but I work all day long, and sometimes it's complicated trying to fit in an appointment, or just having the time to answer the phone", he explained.

"No, it happens to me as well", Jun replied. "I've lost several customers because I was not available at the time they wanted"

I snorted again, as a reply.

"Come on, Nino", Jun said, pleading with his eyes. "Ultimately, things will be better. You'll probably end up making more money than you do now"

He wasn't playing fair.

If he asked me for something with those puppy eyes I couldn't refuse him, and he knew it.

"We can try it for a month", Ohno proposed, noticing how I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. "And depending on how things go, we'll either go back to how we are now or continue working with Aiba-san"

Both of them kept silent.

Jun watched me, expectantly, as Ohno bit his lower lip, also waiting for my reply I guess. I frowned. I didn't want to accept it, but in that situation I dared not refuse it either.

"OK", I said in the end. "But I won't give him more than a month. If he can't catch up or doesn't bring in any new customers, he's gone"

A smile appeared on Jun's face as he thanked me, and it ended up making me smile as well. Although later on, at home, I cursed myself for being so weak against him.

The only thing that made me feel a little better was that I remembered Jun had once said Aiba was quite clumsy, so all was not lost just yet. I hoped a month would be enough time for him to mess things up so much that Jun himself would end up realizing I had been right from the beginning. He'd kick Aiba out, and everything would be like it was before. Just the two of us... Well, and Ohno, of course.

Jun wasted no time and called that guy the very next day to set the details, and brought him our cellphones so he could begin taking calls.

Just four days later, Aiba called us to the office he had set up to work as our agency. He wanted us to see the website he had been designing for us and wanted our approval so he could finally publish it.

I thought it was strange that he had it ready in such a short time. Either it wasn't well designed or it was too simple, and Jun wouldn't like neither, especially when Aiba had promised it would be a completely professional-looking website to bait new customers.

I walked from Tokyo Station to one of the many office buildings in Marunouchi, and rode the elevator up to floor number twelve, where Ohno and Jun were waiting for me, along with Aiba, inside the office marked with the number seven. I wore a triumphant smile on my lips as I crossed the threshold of that door and greeted them, satisfied, waiting for the moment when Jun saw that disaster of a website and flew into a rage.

This Aiba didn't know what he had gotten himself into.

"Well, now that all of us are here, we can finally see the website", Jun said, with a smile on his face.

"I'm a little embarrassed that you expect so much from me", Aiba replied, with a slight blush on his cheeks. "I've tried to design it the best I know how, but it might not meet the height of your expectations"

"I trust you. Come on, don't make us wait any longer"

With a couple of clicks, Aiba opened the website and turned his computer screen a little so that Jun and Ohno could see it. I stood where I was, slightly away from them, with my arms crossed over my chest and a triumphant smile on my lips, waiting for Jun's screams.

They never came.

My friend's eyes widened and after a few minutes, he smiled from ear to ear, clearly happy and satisfied.

"Can I see the rest of it?", he asked.

"Yes, of course", Aiba replied, standing up from his chair in front of the computer to give his seat to Jun. "Please, go ahead"

Jun sat down and browsed the website, fully engrossed for several minutes. Ohno watched the computer screen with a satisfied smile, and that made me frown. He couldn't have made something that good in just four days, I refused to believe it, especially since Jun had described him as a clumsy person.

"It's fantastic...", Jun whispered.

"I like how the pictures are set", Ohno commented. "They don't look like the ones we gave you a few days ago"

"Well... I put some filters on them... and added a couple extra touches...", Aiba said in a shy voice. "I hope you don't mind"

"Why would we mind?", Jun replied. "You did an excellent job. You went far beyond all my expectations!"

"T-Thank you..."

Aiba blushed even more. I rolled my eyes and snorted.

"Nino, come here, you have to see this", said Jun, with a gleam of excitement in his glance, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"What for?", I complained. "If you say it's OK, then it's OK"

Jun looked at me, for the first time since Aiba had showed the website to him, and smiled tenderly.

"Come on, I want you to see your profile. You know your opinion is important to me. Without it, I won't give my seal of approval"

How could I say no when he was smiling at me like that and saying those things?

Again, he wasn't playing fair. He was manipulating me as he pleased and I hated him for it... but at the same time, I loved it. It wasn't very often that Jun gave me that kind of smile and, in a way, it made me happy.

I reluctantly got close to the computer and scanned the open page. It was elegant and discreet, modern, yet simple at the same time. Easy to navigate, and very thorough. It had all the necessary information, our fees, profiles, and the rules for customers to follow. Everything.

Aiba had even thought up a slogan.

_Classy men for men with taste_

It sounded good.

"Wow...", I said.

"It's perfect, right?", Jun replied.

"I have to admit I'm surprised"

I couldn't deny the obvious. If I had said the site was awful, it would've been too noticeable I was so jealous that I was twisting inside. Aiba was scoring more points with Jun at every turn, and I... I was stuck at the same point I had been for years...

And where it seemed I would stay forever.

As Jun's friend.

"Well, what do you think of your profile?", Jun asked, unaware of my thoughts.

"It's fine like that", I sighed, not paying attention.

Jun must have noticed my absent tone because he raised an eyebrow and told me to reply seriously, that the website was our virtual business card to the public. I replied again it was fine as it was, that I liked it for real. And it wasn't a lie. I really would not have changed anything.

Minutes later, one of Aiba's friends, who he introduced us as Sakurai Sho, came into the office. Apparently he was there to help him clean and organize the place a little, so we told them we were leaving in order not to hold them up. Aiba came closer and handed us our schedules for that afternoon and the next morning, saying that he would call us if there were any changes.

When we left the building, Ohno said goodbye because he had to go back to work, so Jun and I decided to walk to Tokyo Station to catch the train back home.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?", he asked, after we had walked a few meters.

"Nothing's wrong", I lied.

Jun sighed.

"It's not normal for you to have such a gloomy face, let alone show it in front of others"

"You're imagining things"

"You know I'm right"

I shrugged.

"If you know you're right, then why do you bother asking me?", I said.

"Because I want to know what happened, Nino. You're my friend"

I snorted.

"I'm telling you nothing is wrong, OK? I'm the same as always"

He frowned.

"OK, as you wish. I'm going to have some pasta"

He quickened his pace. I followed him in silence.

I appreciated the fact that he was worried about me, but I couldn't tell him what was wrong. I couldn't tell him that his new relationship with Aiba made me so jealous I couldn't stand it. I knew it wouldn't fix anything. I would only strain the atmosphere between us, and possibly cause tense situations in the future. And I didn't want that.

I had gotten used to seeing him with many different men every day, so this couldn't be much worse. After all, it was strictly a professional relationship, no matter how satisfied Jun felt with Aiba. There was nothing beyond that, and I knew there would never be.

Aiba was not the kind of man Jun liked.

It didn't make sense to lose control and show my jealousy.

Or let him see he was the reason for my sadness.


	4. Ranchuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

My life was crazy.

I had no time for anything, not even sleep. I spent most of the day at the office, and lately, things were even worse because we were developing a new prototype and, sometimes, we had to stay all night at the company. When that happened, we were given the next day off, but I couldn't sleep as many hours as I would've liked (or actually needed). I needed that time to devote to the customers I had as Ranchuu.

Arranging appointments had become an almost impossible task and my customers were starting to get upset, so it was very convenient when Aiba-san offered to start working for us, but even then, I had to make a decision. I made more money on one weekend as an escort than an entire month at the office, and the life of _salaryman_ was eating away at me. It was no longer a matter of preference or money, but health. I needed to be able to eat and sleep normally again.

That day was one of my days off after having spent the night at the office. I'd slept five hours and now I was in that attic apartment, waiting for Aiba-san's friend, with whom I had a date. And he was late.

Fortunately, I used to bring my sketchbook along with me, so I sat on the windowsill of the apartment and started drawing. It wasn't any shape in particular, just a bunch of lines without much sense, traced onto a sheet of paper. It's something that relaxes me a lot. So much so that, without realizing it, I began humming a song to myself as I drew.

Only the sound of the door being shut caused me to look up, startled.

In the doorway, a man of average height and elegant demeanor stood staring at me, not moving, as if he were afraid to enter the apartment. I assumed he was the man I was waiting for.

"H-Hello", I said, closing my sketchbook and standing up immediately. "I didn't hear you come in, sorry"

"Don't worry about it", he said. "You are... Ranchuu?"

I nodded.

"And you must be Sakurai Sho-san, right?"

"Yes... I am... Sakurai Sho", he replied, still staring at me.

"Shadow, Aiba and Versace have told me a little bit about you. They said you aren't interested in sex"

He blinked.

I guess he wasn't expecting such a reply, but he nodded right away.

"Yeah... well... I'm looking for company...", he cleared his throat.

"Why hire an escort then?", I asked with curiosity. "Although we are companions, we're primarily in the sex business", I couldn't help a nervous giggle, caused largely by the embarrassment I felt toward my own statement.

He smiled. My question didn't seem to have bothered him.

"Truth is I don't even know myself", he chuckled too. "Aiba told me he's been doing well ever since he hired Versace and... I don't know... I guess I'm easy to persuade"

"Ah, you're right. Aiba-san does seem to be happy with Versace", I nodded at my own statement, then looked at him. "What do you want to do, then?"

"I don't know. What do you usually do with your other customers?"

"Er..."

I felt my cheeks flush, and he understood the situation immediately.

"Ah, yeah", he said, blushing as well. "Well... then...", he looked around and fixed his eyes on my sketchbook, resting on the table. "You can keep drawing, if you want. I'll just sit here, in silence", he said, pointing to the couch.

"Eh? But... I'm supposed to try to make you feel good... not work in my hobbies..."

"Don't worry, it's OK with me. When I came in a while ago and you were sitting there drawing, with such a focused look on your face, I felt I could spend the rest of my life just watching you"

I remained silent, looking at him with a confused expression.

"OK, I'm talking too much", he said, clearing his throat again. "What I meant to say is that you can draw, it's not a problem for me. I'll enjoy a few minutes of relaxation, I need them. I've had to deal with too much stress lately"

I couldn't let him sit quietly on the couch while I drew. He had arrived late to our date, but we still were in the time he had paid for, which meant that it was still my duty to show him a good time and help him forget about all that stress he was talking about.

I looked at my sketchbook and had an idea.

"I can sketch you"

He took a minute to react.

"What?"

"I can sketch you", I repeated.

"B-But...", he blinked, still not understanding what the situation was about.

I smiled, trying to get him to relax somehow, and pointed at the couch as I grabbed my sketchbook and sat back on the windowsill again.

"Sit down over there, please", I said.

He obeyed and sat down immediately, almost on the edge of the couch, with his legs together and hands on his knees. I chuckled, amused by his pose, and told him that he needn't be so tense, that if he relaxed he'd look better in the drawing.

He nodded, but continued with his tense pose.

I began to sketch lines on the paper, trying to copy what I saw in him, what was beyond that tense figure, what his soul reflected, but he didn't allow me to see much. It was as if he had a wall around himself and was making a special effort that afternoon to keep it firmly intact to prevent me from seeing his true colors. And that made me feel kind of sad.

I was sure Sho-san shone brightly on the inside, but he didn't seem willing to show it to me that easily.

Almost forty-five minutes later, after telling him my work was finished, I handed him the sheet of paper so that he could see the end result. I knew it wasn't one of my best drawings, but I had done my best, taking into account he had kept showing me only a young man with a gray aura around him.

"Do you like it?", I asked him. "It's not a portrait, I'm not good at drawing things realistically, so it's more like a reflection of what I see in you... Or, rather, of what you allowed me to see today"

I have to admit it, that drawing reflected a dull, simple, lifeless person, sitting on a couch in a rigid pose, unable to relax and just letting things go. I didn't want the result to be like that and I felt like I wanted to help him change, help him unleash everything he had inside for everyone to see.

There were too many good things in the world he seemed to be missing.

"It's... a very good drawing...", he said, looking up. "You have a gift"

"Thank you", I replied out of politeness, knowing he didn't like what he saw. "It's just a hobby"

He looked at me in silence for several seconds and ended up patting the empty spot on the couch to his right.

"Can you... sit here?", he asked me.

I nodded and he waited for me to sit down so that he could sit back and gently rest his head on my shoulder. Sho-san was much warmer than I had imagined, and his breathing was surprisingly deep and rhythmical. He seemed to be much more relaxed than before.

The rest of the date went by pretty fast. He told me about his travels, leaning on my shoulder, while I listened and asked him questions here and there, dreaming about going to all the places he was naming: Madrid, Los Angeles, Fiji Islands, Venice, Hokkaido, Tahiti, Rome, Orlando, Okinawa, Hawaii, Paris, Toronto, Buenos Aires...

When it was the time to say goodbye, he stared at me with a serious expression and held my hands in his, looking into my eyes.

"What would you say if I asked you to come to Bali with me tonight?"

"Eh? To Bali?", I blinked.

He nodded.

"I have a business trip, and I'm going to be lonely", he paused for a moment in which he caressed my hands with his thumbs. "I know it's sudden, but... would you accompany me? You don't have to worry about the ticket or the hotel, I'll take care of them"

It was a very tempting offer.

I'd have to spend the next day at the company again. Going to Bali with Sho-san sounded a thousand times better, no doubt, but they wouldn't give me the days off from work, asking on such short notice.

"Sho-san, I...", I bit my lower lip. "I'd be delighted to go on that trip with you, but... I have a job that I can't skip out on... I'm sorry"

"You don't have to apologize. It was my fault", he hurried to say. "Sorry for having put you in such a tight spot..."

I bit my lower lip again as I shook my head, to show that it was okay.

I wanted to say yes, that I'd go with him, but that would mean quitting my job, a mark on my record. And if I wanted to stop being an escort in the future and return to work for a company, I'd have difficulties due to the lack of commitment I'd have shown by quitting my current job overnight, for no apparent reason.

When we said our goodbyes, I went home to get ready for my next appointment that afternoon, but I couldn't stop thinking about his proposition. He needed a companion, and I needed a break from Tokyo; going to a place like Bali, with its idyllic beaches, and relaxing next to someone who seemed to have exceptionally good manners sounded so wonderful that I couldn't get it out of my head.

Besides, it was also a good chance to begin helping him open up to the world and stop having that gray aura around him that overshadowed all the positive things he seemed to have inside.

I grabbed my cellphone and called Aiba-san.

"Have you gone insane? How are you going to go to Bali?", he exclaimed, when I told him of my intentions.

"I know. It's crazy, but I'm suffocated by Tokyo. I want to get out of here, I want to see all those places Sho-san speaks about, I want to accompany him, I want to help him be happy, if only a little. Please, Aiba-san", I begged. "Try to find a way for me to leave with him tonight. Please, please, please"

"What about your job?"

"I'm going to quit. I'm sick of spending ten hours a day at that office"

I could hear him sigh on the other end of the line.

"OK, I'll try. But I can't promise anything, OK? It's too sudden"

"Thank you!", a smile appeared on my lips. "Thank you so much, seriously. You don't know how much this means to me"

"Yes, I do. I'm fighting to change my life and be happy as well"

"You're the best. I'll get you a dinner alone with Jun, I promise"

Aiba-san giggled.

"I'll take your word on that", he said. "I'll give you a call in a little while and let you know if I was lucky"

"OK, talk to you later. Thanks again"

At seven thirty, my private cellphone had an e-mail waiting to be read.

 

_I couldn't get you a ticket for tonight, but I have good news. There's a flight first thing tomorrow morning. It was expensive, but you have a ticket to Bali._

_Make the most of it and, above all, please make Sho-chan happy._

_I won't forget about that dinner alone with Jun you promised me._

_Masaki._

 

I jumped for joy.

I called my company at that very moment and told them not to count on me coming in the next day. I knew it was professional suicide, but I didn't care. I was sick of working extra hours as a slave, poorly paid, and the worst of all was that I didn't even like my job that much. There were even moments when I was bored, so it was time to put an end to that nightmare. If I'd ever have to work for a company again in the future, I'd look for something else.

That night, I packed my bag with a smile on my face and went to bed early, though I wasn't able to fall asleep until the wee hours of the night thanks to the nerves that had been accumulating in my stomach. When I woke up, I had slept only four hours, but I didn't care.

Goodbye, Tokyo. Goodbye, boring life. Goodbye, slave labor.

I was leaving for Bali, with Sho-san.


	5. Versace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

I knew I was right.

Ever since Aiba had offered to be our assistant, even before discussing it with my colleagues, I knew it would be a good idea to hire him. He wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch, but something told me I could trust him.

You could call it a hunch.

He'd been working for us a little more than a week now and he had already opened up an office, tidied it up, designed a website, added on new services and taken over the correspondence with our customers. No one complained because he was the one answering the calls now. On the contrary, I often received comments about how friendly the guy on the phone was and, on more than one occasion, a customer would ask me if Aiba worked as an escort as well. More than ever, I was glad I hadn’t listened to Nino.

In the past, we had always worked on our own, so I understood that the idea of creating an agency could be a bit surprising at first, but Nino had never asked whether this new agency would take on new members. He simply refused it from the start, without listening to what I was actually suggesting, and dug in his heels in such a way that made it appear as though it was something personal.

I had known Nino for a number of years, when we first met in one of the places frequented by young escorts, and I knew he often reacted to situations in an unexpected way, mainly because he liked to play with people's minds, but I had never seen him get so defensive over something, especially when there was no apparent reason for him to take things so personally. And that worried me.

Most of all, when I saw that it wasn't just a one-time thing after that night I had suggested doing business with Aiba. The day we went to the agency's office to give our approval on the new website, Nino's behavior was strange there as well. He seemed relaxed at first, self-confident, watching things from the background. But the moment Ohno and I gave our approval, pleased with our new assistant's work, Nino's attitude changed drastically. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, as if something was bothering him. It almost looked like he was sad.

I didn't want to say anything right then because I knew he would only go on the defensive again. So I tried to soften him up by saying he had to see his profile and that if he didn't give his approval, I wouldn't give the final OK. I really didn't want to make him feel responsible for that decision, but his opinion was important to me and he seemed unwilling to even take a quick look at the website until I somehow pressured him with my words. It was as if Aiba and everything to do with him bothered Nino.

I didn't want to make a big deal out of it at that time because Nino is proud and I knew he wouldn't like me asking him what was wrong, not with Ohno and Aiba there. So I waited until we left the office and, fortunately, Ohno decided to take a different way home. I still had a couple of errands to run that morning, and the direction Ohno took probably was more convenient for me, but I decided to follow Nino and once we were alone, try to find out what had happened to him.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?", I asked, after we had walked a few meters.

"Nothing's wrong"

He was lying.

I knew Nino and could tell for sure when behind his ' _nothing's wrong_ ' there was a huge and clear ' _something's wrong, but I'm playing hard to get and I’m not telling you_ '.

I sighed.

"It's not normal for you have such a gloomy face, let alone show it in front of others"

"You're imagining things."

"You know I'm right"

He shrugged and adopted that cocky pose that I found incredibly sexy, but at the same time pissed me off.

"If you know you're right, then why bother asking me?", he said.

He was impossible.

I was truly worried about his attitude, but I didn't know how to show it to him, how to express it, how to make him see that I wasn't trying to be pain or poke my nose into something that wasn't my business. I was only trying to be his friend, since he had never allowed me to be anything else.

"Because I want to know what happened", I sighed. "Nino, you're my friend"

He snorted.

"I'm telling you nothing is wrong, OK? I'm the same as always"

His curt tone made me frown.

I had always found it amazing how he, and him alone, was able to make me change my mood four times in a matter of a few seconds. From worried, I went to a mixture of annoyance and attraction, then to sad, and now I was annoyed again, but this time it wasn't mixed with anything else.

It was only anger, rage, frustration.

"OK, as you wish. I’m going to have some pasta", I said, quickening my pace.

I didn't say another word.

I walked quickly, passing him by, not bothering to check if he was following me. I didn't care. He had behaved like a jerk when I had only tried to show my concern. I felt as if there were some kind of veil between us. Something thin and barely visible, but it was there, and it prevented us from getting completely close to one another. And it frustrated me. I wanted to be close to Nino, be his friend, his confidant, his shoulder to cry on. Why was it so hard for him to open up after so many years? I could understand his attitude when there were other people around, but not when we were alone.

He didn't say anything either.

After several meters, I saw him walking behind me, his head down, and lost in his thoughts. I'd have given half my life to know what was going through his mind, what it was that had him worried, what caused him to have that gloomy look that broke my heart, despite being truly annoyed with him.

It was beyond me.

Worse than seeing him everyday with several different men.

That day, at my favorite restaurant, we ate in silence. We stared at each other, as if challenging the other to be the first to speak, but neither of us said a word. And when we finished, we stood up almost immediately, as if the chairs were burning or we were in a hurry to be somewhere else we didn't even have to go to.

I hated being that way with Nino, but he gave me no other choice. I'd have given him the sun or the moon if he asked me to, but when he showed that part of himself, that brat he had inside, and treated me as if I were his enemy, I couldn't stand it. It hurt me so much that I became defensive as well, and there were always several days that had to pass before one of us decided to take the first step towards reconciliation and everything went back to normal. Though it's true we never actually apologized to each other. We would just start speaking again one day, as if we hadn't spent the previous week without as much as looking at one another, and the relationship seemed to get right back on track.

Maybe that was the problem. That it only seemed that way.

Leaning against the window of my living room, smoking a cigarette, I thought that maybe I should set my pride aside once and for all, talk seriously to Nino, apologize to him for the first time in my life... and throw myself into the void. Tell him that he was the one who pissed me off the most, but at the same time, he was the only one who was able to calm me down, the only one I needed, the only who could see inside of me even in my worst moments, when I shut myself off from the rest of the world and felt like there was nothing good in me.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cellphone with determination.

At that moment, I realized it was vibrating and the _kanji_ of Ohno's name were flashing on the screen.

" _Moshi-moshi_ ~", I answered.

"Jun? Finally! I've been calling you the whole afternoon"

I was still half dazed after being taken so abruptly from my thoughts. Ohno had no idea, but he had just killed all of my determination, and I still wasn’t sure of which world I was in.

"Ah... sorry... I've been busy..."

"Well, it's OK", he said, with a giggle. "Listen, I'm in Bali, so I have to be brief"

"In Bali?", I blinked. "What the hell...?"

"I'm on a trip with a customer, Aiba-san's friend. But that's not important right now"

"What do you mean it's not important? What about your job?"

"I quit, but I'll tell you all the details when I get back. Right now I just called to ask if you could have dinner with Aiba-san tonight. You can choose the place"

"Why are you the one calling and not him?"

"You see... that's the thing...", Ohno remained silent for a few seconds, then he cleared his throat. "It's not that he wants to ask you for a service. It's just that... I promised him a dinner with you... for getting me the ticket to Bali overnight"

I blinked again. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You did what?", I wanted to make certain I’d heard him correctly, before reacting.

"Please, Jun, don't get angry. It's only dinner"

I sighed, closed my eyes and rubbed the space between my eyebrows.

"You know I don't meet customers outside of work", I replied in the calmest tone I could muster.

"I know, I know. But this isn't a customer. It's Aiba-san"

"He is my customer. Even when he’s working for us now and I agreed not to charge him for my services, I can't be going out on dates with him. It would cause problems"

"No one has to know. If any customers happen to see you, they'll just think it's another of your services. As you said, Aiba-san was already your customer before he started working for us. Come on, Jun, please..."

I was silent for a few seconds.

What Ohno was saying made sense. No one needed to know the dinner had nothing to do with work, it would be easy to pretend that Aiba still was my customer that night. But why was Ohno being so insistent?

"All right, it's fine", I accepted. "But just this once. I don't want you turning this into a regular thing, much less promising anything to anyone without checking with me first"

"I promise", Ohno seemed to be excited on the other end. "Just this once"

"Listen, Ohno, can I ask what you get out of this?"

"Nothing actually, but Aiba-san got me the best customer of my life. Thanks to him, I was able to rid myself of that awful jail of a job I had"

I didn't quite understand what had happened since the last time I had seen Ohno, less than two days ago, but he sounded happy and that reassured me somehow.

"I see", I said. "Be careful, OK?"

"Sure, sure, don't worry", he chuckled. "Don't forget to call Aiba-san!"

"Yes, yes. Have tons of sex on the beach"

We both laughed at about the same time and then hung up.

One of Ohno's neurons had snapped and he had done something crazy, or at least that's what I thought, but he sounded so carefree that it made me feel good, and suddenly I found myself dialing Aiba's number with a huge smile on my face.

That night was going to be special.

Perhaps in a different way than I had planned.


	6. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 _Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling._  
 _ A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;_

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

Another dawn.

Today it was Bali, yesterday it was Tokyo and a few days ago it had been Hawaii. What difference did it make which city I woke up in? Europe, Asia, America, Africa, Oceania... On every continent, I woke up in a huge bed, expensive sheets greeting me as cold as the morning breeze, heartlessly bringing me back to the real world.

Reminding me that I was alone.

Again.

As I got dressed, I couldn't stop thinking about my date the previous day. I didn't know Ranchuu's real name, but I didn't need to know it anyway. He was the most beautiful being I had ever seen in my life. I had fallen in love with his fragility and the sound of his laughter, fresh like the breeze in spring, soft like rose petals caressing each one of my senses every time I said some silly thing. And that was enough for me.

I didn't need to know anything else. His phone number, where he lived, if he had siblings, what school he had attended, or where he worked. I didn't care about any of that. I only wanted to be able to see those eyes every morning when I woke up, to feel his arms around me, and hear the gentle sound of his voice saying good morning. I was sure that with him by my side, I wouldn't feel lonely anymore, the hotel beds would no longer seem so huge and the sheets wouldn’t feel as cold thanks to the warmth of his body.

In an atypical outburst, I had invited him to travel with me.

He had declined because he had a job to attend to, and I had proposed it too suddenly. I wish I had listened to Aiba-chan the first time he had advised me to hire Ranchuu, instead of insisting someone with a stronger personality. I had only wasted my time, and caused Shadow and Versace to waste theirs as well. If I had had a date with Ranchuu from the start, perhaps he would’ve had the time to tell his company about the trip and now he'd be there, with me.

Just thinking about him gave me the feeling of a thousand butterflies in my stomach. If only reality were not so different. I wished he wasn't thousands of miles away, probably already sitting in his office, while I buttoned the cuffs of my shirt in front of that mirror in Bali, getting ready for my first commercial of the month.

While I checked my teeth in the mirror, the phone in the room rang.

"Hello?", I answered in English.

"Good morning. Mr. Sho Sakurai?"

The voice of a young woman, speaking in English with a foreign accent, came from the other end of the line. I figured she was the hotel receptionist.

"Yes, it's me"

"There's a man here asking for you. He says he knows you"

"Ah, yes. Please, tell him I'll be right down"

When I hung up, I checked my watch. My manager was almost forty minutes early, which was rare for him. His airplane had most likely arrived sooner than expected and he wanted some company while he enjoyed the hotel breakfast. And I had no problem with that. After all, I couldn't stand that feeling of loneliness in my room.

I grabbed my jacket and rode the elevator downstairs, ready to have breakfast while we went over the schedule for the day, even though I already knew it by heart, and he told me stories about his flight.

But there was no trace of my manager when I reached the front desk.

"Excuse me", I said to one of the receptionists. "I'm Sho Sakurai, from room 307. I just received a call saying that someone was waiting for me"

"Yes, sir. It's that gentleman over there", the guy replied, pointing behind me.

When I turned around, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Standing in front of a small suitcase, it wasn't the slender figure of my manager, but the slouchy figure of a tiny man, with slightly flushed cheeks as he waved to me.

"Ranchuu...", I whispered.

He smiled at me from where he was, with a shy gesture. I immediately approached him and blinked a few times, just to make sure my eyes hadn’t been deceiving me.

"How is it that you’re here?", I asked.

"Well, I... thought about things... and in the end... I came..."

"What about your job?"

"I quit. I was fed up with the stress"

"What do you mean you quit?", I blinked. "And what about your plane ticket? It must have cost you a fortune"

"I don't know. The agency got it for me"

I blinked again, but couldn't help smiling.

Ranchuu had left his job and had his agency get him a ticket to be in Bali with me. I couldn't have asked for more. It was like a dream come true.

"I'll talk to Masaki later", I said, helping him with his suitcase. "Come, let's leave this in the room", I looked at him. "You'll have breakfast with me, right?"

"Y-Yeah, of course", he replied, walking beside me.

"Fantastic"

My smile widened as we rode the elevator up and walked to my room, where we dropped off his suitcase and went back down, this time to the restaurant.

Once we had chosen our breakfast and were seated, he explained how everything had happened. You could argue that leaving his job hadn't exactly been a sudden decision. Ranchuu had been thinking about it for months, but hadn't dared to until I came along and offered him the chance he had been waiting for. Obviously, when I invited him to accompany me on my trip, I had no idea it would mean anything to him, but apparently I had released him from his chains. Without even realizing it. And that made me a little happier.

The half hour I spent having breakfast with him ended too soon, and this time my manager truly appeared at the hotel to take us directly to the part of the island where the commercial was to be shot. We would be spending the day there, but we had a two-hour break in-between for lunch, so I told Ranchuu he could come if he wanted to and we could eat together.

At one o'clock, when the cameras were turned off, he was there.

That day we had been shooting on a part of the island that was a little far from the touristic spots, so for a moment I doubted he would come all the way out there for a brief, two-hour lunch with someone he hardly knew. But there he was. Greeting me with a smile after a hot morning under the spotlight. Reminding me that I wasn't alone anymore.

We sat down to have lunch on the beach, under a palm tree, in a place somewhat isolated from the area where the commercial was being shot, just to have a little bit of privacy. Ranchuu told me what he'd done that morning, which could be summarized as watching the fish swimming in the crystalline waters, but to me, everything he said was fascinating.

"Do you want to go scuba diving?", I suggested.

"Eh?"

"You like fish, don't you?"

He nodded. I smiled.

"It's not the first time I'm here", I continued. "I assure you there are some amazing fish in between the reefs. But most of them can only be seen if you go diving. Would you like to go?"

"I would love to, but you're busy"

" I have the afternoon off tomorrow. We can go then, if you want"

This time he was the one smiling and I felt the world lighting up.

"Yes, of course I want to", he replied.

"I'll tell my manager to get it all ready"

We kept talking for the rest of my lunch break.

He was interested to know what other activities they had on the island, I guess so that he wouldn’t get bored while I was working, and we ended up having a lively chat about the various temples, and the white and black sand beaches.

I soon had to get back to work and he was told to leave the area, so as not to be a distraction (I guess that was for me), but around half past six I met him again to enjoy a relaxing dinner, with Bali's twilight as a backdrop.

"Have you been sunbathing?", I asked him.

I had noticed that his skin was slightly red.

"Ah", he giggled. "Not really. I just spent too much time fishing this afternoon, and I always forget to wear sunscreen"

Far from finding it funny, I was worried about him being so careless with his skin, so I couldn't help frowning and giving him a serious look.

"You have to be more careful, the sun here is quite strong"

He seemed surprised by my attitude, but nodded right away.

"I'll keep that in mind from now on"

"Okay", I smiled.

I was a little more at ease after hearing his words, but I also realized that I might have been too serious with him, and I didn't want to scare him away on our first trip together. My idea was to ask him to accompany me on other trips too, so I had to control my protective nature, at least for now.

The rest of the dinner went by smoothly. I talked non-stop while he listened, though he sometimes interjected a few words here and there. It wasn't very much, but I didn't care. I liked having him with me, that was enough. I didn't need him to be a great conversationalist or to have the most interesting anecdotes in the world. In fact, one of traits that made Ranchuu appealing was precisely his simplicity.

After a tour around the hotel and its surroundings, we decided to go and get some rest. I had to wake up early the next day to continue shooting, and my manager would be furious if I showed up with dark circles or bags under my eyes. Besides, I wanted to have enough energy to last the whole day and be able to make the most of the afternoon I'd spend scuba diving with Ranchuu. I had never been especially attracted to aquatic activities before, but I suddenly found them exciting.

"Sho-san...", he said, now in the hotel room.

"Uhm?"

I was brushing my teeth, already in my pajamas, while he stood next to the bed. He seemed unsure about something.

"How... should I sleep?", he asked.

"However you are most comfortable, of course"

"Er...", he blushed slightly. "I sleep in pajamas at home, but with my customers... well... my pajamas aren't very erotic... so..."

I couldn't help but laugh.

He really was an adorable being.

"Who said I want you to seduce me?", I looked at myself, with my blue striped pajamas, then looked at him. "As you can see, mine aren't very erotic either"

"Ah, well", he laughed, a little embarrassed. "I remember you said you weren't interested in sex, but since we're going to spend the night in the same bed... I thought I should ask..."

"Go put your pajamas on", I laughed again, winking at him with complicity.

Ranchuu grabbed his pajamas and changed right there, in the middle of the room. I went into the bathroom, with the excuse of rinsing my mouth, so I could avoid having to stand there, watching him. I had no doubt he most likely had a beautiful body, but it wasn't among my interests to ogle at it for the time being.

When I walked back into the room, he already had his pajamas on, but he was still standing there, not knowing what to do with himself. I couldn't help but smile for the umpteenth time that night, then I got into bed and patted the mattress a couple of times, inviting him to join me under the covers, where he'd certainly feel warmer than outside. He hesitated for a few seconds, but eventually lifted the blanket and laid down beside me, without so much as brushing against me.

"You can come closer", I said. "I don't bite"

"Er... yeah... but..."

"I don't want sex. I maintain that. But I'm not made of ice", I looked at him. "I enjoy the warmth of others, just like everyone else"

He nodded and snuggled against me.

I put my arms around him, wrapping him in a protective embrace and closed my eyes, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

I wanted to have him by my side.

Forever.


	7. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

My greatest fear came true.

I had never told Jun about my feelings out of fear of losing his friendship. I knew he wasn't looking for a partner, and I didn't want a sporadic relationship. Not with him. So a long time ago I decided the best I could do was to keep my feelings locked in the deepest part of my heart, but I never imagined I could be so wrong.

When Aiba began working with us and Jun was so excited, I figured it'd be a temporary thing. Aiba was just a novelty and he had proved to be very useful, that's why Jun paid special attention to him, but nothing beyond that. They never met outside of work and Jun kept giving him his usual services, though he never charged him due to that special agreement they had.

It was when Ohno left for Bali with his new customer, Aiba's friend, that I thought it would be a good opportunity to drop by Jun's place and talk to him. I didn't know if I would be able to apologize for my childish behavior when we went to check the website, but I wanted to at least make him see that I wasn't angry anymore, that in fact, I never had been angry at him because, after all, none of it was his fault. It was all because of my stupid feelings.

That night I decided not to tell him I was going to visit him. I wanted to surprise him, and at the same time I didn't want to give him the opportunity to get ready for my arrival and being too defensive. Perhaps if I caught him with his guard down, everything would be easier and I wouldn't have to swallow my pride so that he'd speak to me again.

What never crossed my mind was he already had other plans.

I saw him going into his building, placing his arm around Aiba's shoulders as the two of them laughed. Apparently they had come back together and wanted to end their night at Jun's. I didn't know how, but I could imagine it. And the worst part of it was that Jun wasn't working. I knew because of his clothes, as those weren't the ones he used when he was providing his services, and because he never took customers to his place. Never.

I was unable to react.

I just stood there, watching them from the other side of the street, as Jun opened the door and the lights of the hall automatically lit up. Once the two of them were inside the building, Jun didn't wait a single second to press Aiba against the wall and kiss him eagerly, as if he had been wanting to the whole night. Or perhaps for months. Then he caressed Aiba's lips with his index finger while staring at him with an intense look, and the two of them disappeared upstairs.

Without being aware of it, I had had my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles began to hurt, and I bit my lower lip insistently, fighting against the tears that welled up in my eyes.

I don't know exactly at what point I decided to, but I eventually turned around and rushed back home, where I locked myself in my bedroom and plopped into the bed. The tears no longer fought to show up, but my body was exhausted and my mind was blank. It was like I was unable to digest what I had just seen with my own very eyes, as if my mind refused to believe it was true, even when the situation was more than obvious.

Jun and Aiba had started going out together.

Exactly when it had all started, I didn’t know, but Jun didn't have his so-called escort pose; passionate, but cold and distant at the same time, completely giving himself over to every customer, but still maintaining control over the situation so it never got out of his hands. The Jun I had seen that night wasn't controlling the situation at all, even if he thought he was. He was being completely carried along by Aiba who, silently and almost inadvertently, had the upper hand.

I was afraid.

For me. For not being able to control myself the next day I saw him. Or even worse, if a customer were to ask for a duplex service and we had to do it together. The escorts involved in the threesome in a duplex service were randomly selected, but in our agency we were only three escorts, so we worked together quite often. Up till then, it'd never bothered me. I could see Jun naked or even touch and play with him, which I think excited both of us in some way, but now everything had changed. I didn't know if Jun was planning to tell me about his relationship with Aiba, but I knew about it, and I would have it in my mind when working with him.

But that wasn't the only thing.

I was afraid for him as well.

Jun hides a sensitive heart underneath that shell of self-confidence he shows to everyone, and is very dependent on the people around him. If he had decided to have a relationship with Aiba, it meant he had thrown himself into the void and he was going to depend on Aiba even more than he depended on Ohno and me. He would need Aiba more than anyone else, he would be his number one, and I wasn't sure Aiba was ready to meet the challenge. Or maybe he didn't even want to.

It was probably my jealousy doing the talking, but I still believed that Jun was just a rich boy's whim to Aiba. He would get tired of him soon enough and end up leaving him, or maybe he would just never take their relationship seriously. And if that happened, I would be the first to rush in wherever I was needed and kick his ass. Because, in my mind, before myself, there was Jun. And no one else.

That night, it was hard for me to get some sleep.

I finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, but I wasn’t able to sleep for very long because, although my first customer wasn’t until past noon, my private cell phone woke me up around ten. I stretched out my arm, with my eyes still half closed, and opened it to answer the call.

" _Moshi-moshi_ "

" _Ohaaaaayooooou_ "

I had to take the receiver away from my ear to stop hearing Jun's scream, which came from the other end of the line.

"Why are you screaming so early in the morning?", I grumbled.

He chuckled.

"Were you sleeping?"

"Yes, of course. It's only seven"

"What are you talking about, seven? It's ten", he chuckled again.

I checked the clock on my wall. He was right.

"Ah... it's just that I couldn't sleep until late last night..."

"Are you alright, Nino?"

His cheerful tone disappeared and now sounded worried.

"Yeah, it was just one of those nights. I was so exhausted that I wasn't able to fall asleep"

"I see...", he was silent for a few seconds. "I'll treat you to breakfast. I have something to tell you"

My eyes widened.

I had almost forgotten about the previous night.

"Well... I... I'm a little tired...", I cleared my throat.

"Please, Nino. If I don't tell you, I might explode"

I sighed.

"OK. I'll meet you in an hour?"

"Perfect. At the usual café"

"Yeah, sure"

I hung up without saying goodbye and rolled out of bed to get ready.

I wasn't mad at him, I was mad at myself for being such an idiot. I needed a few minutes alone to calm down before seeing him so I would be able to speak to him normally. After all, I knew perfectly well what he was going to tell me, and I had to be ready to swallow my feelings and pretend I was happy for him. For both of them. Though I didn't care about Aiba.

After a quick shower and a million sighs, I walked down the street to the café where I always met Jun. It was halfway between his place and mine, which weren't too far away from each other to begin with. When I entered, he was already seated, and discreetly waving at me so that I would see him.

"Yo~", he said, when I sat down in front of him.

"Hey..."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you're still mad"

"No, I'm not. I didn't sleep much, that's all"

Without asking me, as was usual with him, he took the initiative and ordered black coffee, like the one he had.

"It'll do you good"

I nodded. He sighed.

"I won't beat around the bush. I'm going out with Aiba"

I nodded again.

Why did I feel a thousand knives stabbing my heart at the same time? I already knew what was going on, I had mentally prepared myself for this moment. Why was I unable to say any of the things I had planned to say? Why was I unable to pull out one of my usual witty come-backs or even just a word of encouragement to my friend, who was looking at me, wide-eyed with anticipation?

"Aren't you going to say anything?", he insisted, breaking the silence.

"Sorry, I'm kinda drowsy from lack of sleep, today is not my best day", I forced a smile. "I'm glad... for both of you... Though I'm worried about your work"

"It's not a problem. He was my customer before being my boyfriend"

"Yeah, but what about your other customers?"

"I'm not planning to tell them", he looked at me. "We never give out any personal information to our clients. I could have been married or even have had children all this time"

"You're right"

At that moment, the waiter approached our table and left the hot cup of coffee in front of me, then bowed and walked away. I put some sugar in it, stirred with the spoon and placed my hands around it, warming up.

"Have you been together for a long time?", I asked.

"No, only since yesterday"

That explained Jun's impatience at the main door the night before.

"I see", I said. "I think I'm jealous", I chuckled.

Jun chuckled with me.

"Jealous? Do you want a partner?"

"No, I want to go out with Aiba"

I looked at him with a serious expression and he looked back at me. Then laughed.

"I almost believed you"

"Do I look like I like Aiba?", I laughed.

"Not really"

You could cut the tension between us with a knife.

The two of us were uncomfortable, faked smiles and acted out gestures of attention, not wanting to show that our thoughts were somewhere else, and keeping our hearts quiet. I had no idea to what extent that encounter would affect me until I was actually in front of him and he told me with his own words what I already knew.

I still could feel my heart bleeding inside my chest.

I tried not to rush the coffee too much, trying to make time to fix a situation that no longer had a solution, but it ended up getting cold in between our awkward silences. And I hate cold coffee.

I've never liked it.

Minutes later, I stood up first, unable to bear the tension any longer and excused myself saying I had to go back home to get ready for my customer at noon. It wasn't a lie I had a customer, but it was true that I never got ready before meeting one of them. And Jun knew that.

That's why he sighed as I walked away.

But I kept on walking without a pause.

Perhaps the sound of my soul crumbling to pieces had been so deafening that he had been able to hear it, and hadn't dared to follow me. Or maybe I was too afraid the screams of pain I was holding back were too obvious on my face that I never turned around to look at him. Not even once.

Not even when I opened the door to leave that café.

Not even when I walked down the street, with my eyes soaked.

Picking up the little pieces of myself.


	8. Ranchuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

My new life was perfect.

Since I decided to embrace adventure and follow Sho-san to Bali, I was never in Tokyo for more than six or seven days in a row. I had already seen many cities in Japan, some in the USA and even a few European capitals. All in just three months!

Sho-san used to be busy shooting commercials or promoting products, especially in the mornings, but during his free time he would accompany me on walks around whichever city we were in, show me some off-the-beaten track neighborhoods I would have never thought about going if I were traveling alone, treat me to lunch or dinner in spectacular restaurants, and take me to all the art galleries he knew.

One might say I was living a dream. In fact, I felt a lot like the stereotypical main character in a romantic movie. Someone plain and ordinary, who gets whisked away and taught by a prince charming that had suddenly appeared in their life one day.

My eyes never stopped wandering when I walked in Sho-san's company; he always took me through such elegant, refined places that I even felt a little embarrassed sometimes. He would tell me to relax, that he didn't like that environment all that much, but he wanted to show it to me because it was a part of his daily life and, in his words, he wanted me to know everything about him.

I almost felt like his partner.

My customers were always polite and discreet, after all I offered a luxury service not every pocket could afford, but none of them had ever treated me in such a natural, elegant way before. Or with so much kindness. And I liked it. Although I couldn't quite understand why he didn't want to touch me.

He had made it clear from the beginning he didn't want sex, what he was looking for was just someone to keep him company. I understood that and respected it. Actually, it was easier for me that way, since it was almost like being on a permanent vacation without having to do anything in exchange, just listen to him when he felt like talking. But after taking several trips together and having slept in the same bed several nights in a row, I was expecting him to falter at any moment. It would've been natural, especially when he said he wasn't made of ice and enjoyed human warmth just like everyone else, but he never touched me more than the bare minimum.

At night, we cuddled and he would embrace me protectively. Sometimes he would gently caress my face or slowly run his fingers up and down my arm until he fell asleep. According to Sho-san, the touch of my skin relaxed him and helped him to sleep, but after three months, I felt it was time to take a step further.

It was clear I was not the one to decide when we should get more intimate, but the fact that he didn't even want to kiss me after all this time was beginning to irritate me.

Maybe he was just shy and it was hard for him to start things up.

"Sho-san", I said one afternoon, walking through the streets of Manhattan.

"Hm?"

"I was wondering... if you would like to have dinner with me tonight"

"Sure!", he exclaimed. "I'll take you to a restaurant that was recommended to me by an acquaintance who has been living here for years. He says it has the best..."

"No", I interrupted him. "I meant something more intimate"

"Eh?", he looked at me in surprise.

"You know, the two of us alone in the room, with some candles..."

He blinked a few times and his cheeks turned red.

"Well, if that's what you want..."

I nodded right away.

"I don’t think we’ve ever had dinner alone"

"You're right", he chuckled. "And it's about time, no?"

I nodded again, more eagerly this time.

That evening we had dinner by the candlelight at that enormous Manhattan skyscraper which was our hotel, with the curtains wide open to enjoy the view of New York at night. Sho-san was especially happy and talkative. He spoke on and on while I listened, and his eyes seemed to shine in a special way by the candlelight., I took care of refilling our glasses with wine occasionally, and by the time I realized it, we had already drunk more than half the bottle.

When the waiter brought our dessert, Sho-san asked him to leave, so that we were finally alone for real. I had been giving him suggestive smiles all night long, and he seemed to get the hint because he actively participated exchanging looks. Actually, several times, I found his look grew more intense as he showed a smirk. And he was driving me crazy.

I was only there for work, but Sho-san was a very attractive, handsome man, and I wasn't made of ice. Not even someone like me, with my kind of job and being used to almost any kind of flirting, could put up with those looks and smirks of his without wanting to drag him into bed. Especially when I had wine running through my veins.

At some point, I lost interest in my dessert and left the spoon on the plate.

"You aren’t going to finish it?", he asked, placing a spoonful of dessert in his mouth.

He had his left arm on the table and his hand rested almost halfway between him and me. I placed my right arm on the table, and slowly moved my hand closer to his.

"I'm not hungry anymore", I replied with a smile.

In one gentle motion, I rubbed his hand with the back of my finger.

He looked down for half a second and then looked back at me.

"It's OK", he smiled. "You don't have to eat any more, if you don't want to"

He stretched out one of his fingers and began to play with mine.

I knew that Sho-san liked to go slow, in every sense, so I wasn't in a rush. I let him play with my finger in silence for a while and, little by little, I added more fingers until we were practically holding hands. He looked happy with the situation, the wide smile on his face, which didn't disappear even when he picked up his glass of wine to take a sip from it, told me so.

"Aren't you tired?", I asked, after a while.

"Uhm... Yes, a little. Why?"

"Nothing. I just thought that you might've felt like going to bed already", I looked at the bed, then at him. "We can continue talking while we cuddle, the way you like"

He looked at me somewhat puzzled, but eventually nodded.

"You're right, we'll be more comfortable in bed"

We stood up from the table, grabbed our pajamas and he started to take his clothes off in order to change them. At the beginning, during our first few trips together, he would go into the bathroom to change his clothes, in the morning and at night, while I used the bedroom. With time, he seemed to feel more comfortable around me and began changing in the room with me. To be honest, I had never paid special attention to him, since I was more than used to seeing men take off their clothes in front of me. But that night was different.

Perhaps it was the wine.

I placed my pajamas on the bed and started to unbutton my shirt, with the intention of changing my clothes. But when I glanced up and saw Sho-san's back in front of me, with each of his defined muscles in motion as he took off his pants, my jaw dropped and I couldn't help watching him, without moving. I didn't know what was happening to me. Sho-san's physique was slim, but his muscles were proving particularly attractive at the moment.

I'd definitely had too much to drink.

I looked away, still not knowing what had just happened, as he placed his clothes on the little coach next to bed, perfectly laid out so they wouldn't wrinkle, and put on his pajama pants. I had managed to react by then, and had finished unbuttoning my shirt, though I had it still on. When Sho-san turned around to grab the top to his pajamas, he looked at me and seemed surprised to see that I had not yet undressed.

"You're still like that?", he laughed.

"Eh?", I looked at myself. "Ah... yeah...", I looked back at him. "I feel a little sluggish tonight, in general. It must be the wine. I think it went straight to my head"

Sho-san shook his head with a chuckle.

"I'm going to brush my teeth", he said.

"OK. I'll wait here"

He nodded, put on his pajama top and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

I put on my pajamas, but instead of staying there as I said I would, I waited barely a few minutes and approached the bathroom door.

I took a deep breath and gently knocked.

"Sho-san?"

"It's open", he said, from inside.

I turned the knob and shyly peeked in.

"What are you doing?", I asked him.

His mouth was full of toothpaste.

"Brushing my teeth", he chuckled. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head.

"I just felt a little lonely"

He gave me a fatherly smile.

"Come on in"

I walked into the bathroom and looked at him through his reflection in the mirror.

He finished brushing his teeth and gave me another fatherly smile before rinsing his mouth. I approached him from behind, since he was busy and couldn't see me, and placed myself as close as possible to the back of his neck.

It wasn't his fatherly affection I wanted.

"Sho-san..."

He jumped slightly and looked at me through the mirror.

"You startled me", he smiled. "I wasn't expecting you to stand so close"

He grabbed a towel and dried his mouth and hands.

I said nothing. I waited for him to turn around and look at me.

We spent several seconds in silence, standing there, just staring at each other, until Sho-san smiled again. And this time, it wasn't a fatherly smile.

"What happened?", he said. "You're acting weird today..."

He stretched out his right hand and brushed some bangs off my forehead. I gently grabbed it and, while he was looking at our hands, I seized the opportunity to stand on tiptoe, close my eyes, and press my lips to his.

The kiss was short and quick, but sweet, and it made me smile, with my eyes still closed, as I placed my feet back on the ground. When I opened my eyes, Sho-san was looking at me. He wasn't surprised, or especially happy. He was just staring at me in silence, as if he were wondering what had just happened.

Truth is, I didn't understand it either.

I only knew my heart was beating really fast and that, at some point, my breathing had become heavier. I noticed my hands were trembling and the thought of kissing him again was repeating over and over in my head. But this time, a real kiss, the kind that makes you weak in the knees.

Seeing no sign of rejection on his part, I dared to lace my fingers with his and placed my free hand on the nape of his neck to pull him closer, and tried to kiss him again.

However, what my lips found were not his lips, but his index finger.

"It's time for bed, Ranchuu", he said, with a smile.

He removed the hand from his nape, undid the tangle of fingers that were our hands and walked out of the bathroom.

It took me a while to go back into the bedroom and, when I did it, he was in bed, reading with his glasses on. He looked at me, placed his book on the bedside table, took off his glasses and lay down, motioning for me to lie down beside him.

"Come here, come on. The wine went to your head", he chuckled.

I listened to him and slipped under the fresh sheets, snuggling up next to him, as I did every night we had spent together.

I didn't dare to say another word.

Sho-san had said he wasn't made of ice, but I was beginning to doubt it.


	9. Aiba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

They say you're never happy with what you have.

I had practically everything. A family who loved me, plenty of money in my pocket, and friends I could trust blindly, like Sho-chan; but I felt like something was lacking. It wasn't physical or material; it was more like something inside of me. I felt incomplete, and sometimes, when I was alone, I asked myself over and over again what it was that I needed.

When I met Jun, I thought it was him.

I wanted to believe that he was the missing piece I needed to complete the puzzle inside of me, and I had convinced myself that he fit perfectly in every way, without a bend, or any corner that stuck out. I knew that getting him wouldn't be easy, and maybe I might never be able to do it, but that only encouraged me to fight even harder for him.

Until I achieved my goal.

Several months had passed since he had called me to have dinner, outside of his working hours, and we had decided to start a relationship. I didn't mind he keeping his work as an escort, I had met him while he was working and I was willing to learn to accept it if it meant I could have him by my side, so our daily routine remained the same. With the only difference being that there was now complicity between us.

Jun and I had that excitement that exists at the beginning of every relationship. We met up as much as possible, called each other, sent e-mails very often asking about each other’s day, and we almost always slept together at either his place or mine. The two of us looked for each other, wanting to share everything with one another, and we seemed to fit each other perfectly.

Or so I thought.

One day he sent me an e-mail saying he had two tickets for the cinema and a reservation for two at his favorite restaurant the same night, and that he would wait for me at Roppongi subway station at six. Weeks earlier I had made plans for that afternoon with Sho-chan, who would be in Tokyo for a few days, so I replied to Jun's e-mail saying that I couldn't go to the cinema, but that I could possibly make it to dinner, and then he could sleep over at my place.

He didn't wait a second to call me.

"Hello!", I cheerfully greeted him as I answered the phone.

"What do you mean you can't come to the cinema?"

"Yeah, I’m sorry. I made plans for today with Sho-chan a long time ago, and he just got back yesterday from one of his trips. We're thinking about going to the Sky Tree and to see the new mall. I've heard it's awesome!"

"Masaki, didn't you read my e-mail?", he said, with a sharp tone.

"Eh? Yes, of course I read it. I replied to you, didn't it reach you?"

I heard him impatiently sighing on the other end of the line.

"Tell Sakurai you can't go today. Reschedule it for another day"

"But, Jun... I haven't seen him in the longest time and..."

"You can meet with him another day. You have plans today"

This time it was me who sighed, resigned.

"Okay, I'll call him now and tell him we can meet tomorrow"

"Fine. I'll see you at six in Roppongi, then. Ja~"

"OK. Ja~"

I hung up and sighed again.

I wanted to go to the cinema and have dinner with Jun, and then cuddle together in bed. Of course I wanted to. But I hadn't seen Sho-chan in such a long time and I missed him. Aside from that, he had told me that he wanted to talk about something related to Ohno, and I knew that was an important topic for him. Jun had made plans for me, without asking, forcing me to leave Sho-chan hanging, and that made me feel a little sad for the rest of the afternoon.

When I reached Roppongi, Jun smiled and spoke as if nothing had happened. To him, the situation was normal, and I had the feeling that he would repeat it again in the future because it was his natural attitude towards his partner. I knew he was an independent person, with crystal clear ideas, and that he did his own thing, but I didn't like him deciding things for me and making me to change my plans.

I also realized that he looked for me more and more. He called me more often than before, which meant that I always had to watch my phone. He didn't like it when I didn't answer right away. He would get impatient or even angry, saying I was his partner so he had to be able to reach me at any time.

And I felt suffocated.

For me, it was stressful having to check my cell phone every single second of the day, just in case he happened to call. At the agency, while taking care of the customer's calls, I would always feel nervous and uneasy, in case Jun called at that moment and I couldn't answer. I even began going to the bathroom as little as possible, because it happened once that it took me a little longer to answer the phone because I was in the bathroom and he got mad, without giving me the chance to explain myself first.

I had known from the beginning that he was a possessive demanding person, with a strong character, but I never imagined that having a relationship with him would be so hard.

One afternoon, he was sitting on one of the agency's couches, reading a book, while I took some notes and organized a few appointments. He had been quiet the entire time, and I assumed he just felt like relaxing. Jun was like that. Sometimes he felt overwhelmed by people and needed his own space for a while. Minutes later, Ohno came to pick up his tickets for his trip to New York with Sho-chan, and the two of us began to speak cheerfully. Apparently Jun was looking at me out of the corner of his eye as I spoke with Ohno, but I tend to be oblivious by nature and never seem to notice things like that.

It was actually Ohno who mentioned it to me.

"Aiba-chan", he said, motioning to Jun.

I looked at Jun, who was still reading his book, then at Ohno.

"What happened?"

"Jun has been watching you this whole time", he said, lowering his voice so that Jun wouldn't hear him. "I think he's waiting for you to approach him and say something"

"Eh?", I looked back at Jun and then at Ohno, confused. "But he's reading right now, he might get mad if I interrupt him. He doesn't like to be bothered when he's with his things"

Ohno shrugged.

I looked back at Jun again and our eyes met, although it was only for a few seconds. He immediately looked away and went back to his book, awkwardly shifting on the couch. Perhaps Ohno was right.

"Jun", I said, approaching the couch and sitting next to him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong", he smiled, without looking away from his book.

I sighed.

"You've been quiet all afternoon"

"I'm just reading"

"Ah, well", I forced a smile. "Then I won't bother you..."

As I was about to stand up, I could hear him snort.

I blinked and looked at him.

I noticed he was expecting me to read into his actions and be able to understand him through them. But I couldn't. Not because I didn't want to or because I didn't try, but because he was a complicated person. He wasn't easy to read like Sho-chan, and I had only started to really get to know him just a few months ago, since that first night we spent at his place.

I needed more time to be able to understand him without the need of words.

And he didn't seem to understand that.

"I'm sorry I'm so clumsy", I sighed. "But if you don't tell me what‘s wrong, I can't do anything. I'm really sorry I can't guess what it is myself..."

I looked down and watched my fingers fidgeting.

Jun didn't say a word.

He closed his book with a strong thud, stood up and said he had to go because he had an appointment with a customer. I knew perfectly well it wasn't true. I was the one who organized his appointments and schedule and I knew he was free. What really happened was that he had gotten angry. Again. And I didn't even know why.

I preferred it a thousand times over when we argued and he would pierce through me with his dark eyes, full of rage. When he got mad and didn't say anything, I didn't know what I had done wrong or how to fix it; and it drove me crazy because I couldn't stand that cold attitude towards me on purpose, as if he were trying to punish me for something I didn't even know I had done.

And it overwhelmed me.

Once again, I felt suffocated.

Maybe not so much because of him or the situation itself, since I know that sooner or later he would come back and we would fix things, in one way or another. But because our relationship was consuming me to the point where I thought about nothing else. I had only Jun in my mind all day long, thinking about what would be the next thing that might bother him or make him angry, and it caused me so much anxiety that I often broke down and cried whenever I was alone.

During moments like that afternoon, I would feel sad and miserable, while he didn't seem to care. It was as if I had to take his feelings into account, but he ignored mine most of time. He most likely didn't do it on purpose. I know Jun has a kind heart and that he would never hurt me intentionally, but he did. As unintentional as it was, it hurt me just the same.

I didn't know what to do.

I couldn't tell him because I would hurt him.

I tried to adapt to it. I really tried. I swear I did everything I could for our relationship to be better instead of worse, because I was truly convinced that Jun was the perfect guy, the one that would really fill the void in me as long as we were able to overcome the tiny bad patches.

But in the end, they weren't that tiny.

Every day, I felt more and more suffocated, and I didn't know what to do.

I had no idea how he would react in the morning, when I saw him at the agency. He could smile at me and light up my world, or look at me with disdain and wallow in misery. And I couldn't live like that. I felt like I couldn't live up to his expectations for the relationship, but I didn't know how to tell him. Because it wasn't really his fault nor mine. We just simply weren't compatible.

But how to tell him after having insisted so much that he went out with me?

I thought that if I gave it some time, I would be able to find a way to tell him, without the two of us having to suffer. I understood that Jun had become so suffocating because he really loved me, and he wanted me to be able to understand him and take care of him like he needed, but I also understood that the relationship was not healthy, for neither of us.

And while I was looking for a way to tell him, I found I was distancing myself from him.

I began to give him excuses so I wouldn’t have to go out or spend the night at his place, in order to avoid arguments that came out of nowhere, but doing so overwhelmed me even more because I knew that I wasn't being fair to him, or to myself. I wasn't being honest, and honesty is the basis for any human relationship, but I wasn't able to face him. I wasn't ready. Not yet.

I didn't have the heart to tell him I couldn't go on.

That I had been wrong about our relationship.

And now I didn't know how to get out of that spiral.


	10. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 _Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling._  
 _ A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;_

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

Things were getting complicated.

At first, everything was perfect. I took Ranchuu along with me on my trips and together we saw cities that I already had seen by myself, many of them even more than once, but with him by my side they looked completely new. I saw them in a different light, I enjoyed then more and, above all, I wanted him to enjoy them with me. And it seemed to be working.

I used to find out activities he could do alone while I was busy, so he wouldn't get bored, though sometimes he preferred to rest at the hotel if we had been up late the night before. Then we would have lunch together and usually spend the afternoon together as well, unless my commercials or promotions required me to work.

It was perfect.

But one day he began to behave strangely.

We had been traveling together for several months, and that night we were in New York. Everything was as usual, but he suddenly suggested we had dinner together alone in our hotel room. I thought it was a good idea, since we had never done that before, but he ended up acting weird. Not weird in a bad way, but he just wouldn’t stop throwing me playful looks and smiles (which I, of course, returned). And Ranchuu wasn't like that.

It wasn't like him to flirt so openly, let alone fiddle with my fingers on the table, as lovers do. It's not that it bothered me. Not at all. In fact, I let myself be loved and took the opportunity to play with his fingers a little myself, but that attitude of his didn't surprise me any less.

I thought it was the wine.

Between courses, speaking non-stop, we drank almost an entire bottle, and I was beginning to feel a little tipsy myself, and I couldn't stop grinning like an idiot at Ranchuu's sweetness.

He was such an adorable, pure, transparent human being... He drove me crazy.

When we decided to go to bed, and I began to undress to put on my pajamas, I could already see how he stared at me and watched my every movement. But it was when I was brushing my teeth that he came to the bathroom and started acting werd again.

"What are you doing?", he asked, peeking into the room in the most adorable way.

My mouth was full of toothpaste, but I couldn't help chuckling.

"Brushing my teeth. Is something wrong?"

"I just felt a little lonely"

"Come on in", I told him with a smile.

He walked into the bathroom and looked at me through my reflection in the mirror. I kept smiling back at him, trying to convey to him that he didn't need to feel lonely, and then I rinsed my mouth, which made me lose visual contact with him. It was hardly two seconds, but it was enough for him to get so close to my back that I could feel his breath on my neck when he said my name. I jumped slightly and looked back at him through the mirror, letting him know he had startled me.

I grabbed a towel and dried my mouth and hands, giving him time to apologize and move away, but he didn't say anything. He didn't even move. He just stood there, so close that I could almost feel him, and waited for me to turn around to look at him.

"What happened?", I said with a smile. "You're acting weird today..."

I brushed some bangs off his forehead, but he gently grabbed my hand and moved it away. I was still adjusting to the sudden movement, when he stood on tiptoe and kissed my lips.

I didn't know how to react.

He had taken me completely by surprise and a shiver traveled down my spine, leaving me utterly frozen and speechless. The kiss was short and quick, but still was enough to shake me for a few seconds, in which I had to make a real effort to regain control of my senses.

Ranchuu laced his fingers with mine and placed his free hand on the back of my neck. He moved his body closer to mine and was clearly ready to kiss me again, but I couldn't allow myself to lose control again.

This time I might not be able to get it back.

I placed my index finger on his lips and smiled.

"It's time for bed, Ranchuu", I said.

And I had to quickly release myself from his hands.

When I entered the room, my heart was racing at a dizzying speed and my legs were shaking. Ranchuu had almost made me lose my sense of self-control in that bathroom and I couldn't allow that. I knew he was only doing his job, and I had feelings for him. If there was any kind of intimate contact between us, I'd start to lose sight of reality, and it would be a mess. I would ruin what little connection I had with him.

I quickly got into bed, put on my glasses, and grabbed a book to hide behind. Not that I could actually focus on any reading at that moment, but if he came out and saw me standing in the middle of the room, it would be far too obvious that I had lost my composure because of his kiss.

The rest of the trip went smoothly.

Two weeks later, we were at a hotel in Paris.

I put on my pajamas in the room, as I did every night, but he preferred to change in the bathroom. He told me he was wearing ugly underwear and would feel embarrassed if I saw it. I thought it was the most adorable thing in the world, like almost everything he did, and chuckled as I told him the bathroom was all his.

I got into bed and took the chance to answer a couple of personal e-mails on my cell phone. One of them was from Aiba-chan, who had started dating Versace and was a little lost. He said he felt weird because he had wanted to be with Versace since the moment he’d met him, but now that he finally had him, it was as if he had lost interest. It sounded to me as though he was still getting used to his new relationship, and that his head was having a hard time accepting the fact that he was now in a steady relationship with a man whose business was sex. I advised him to follow his heart.

"I'm ready"

Ranchuu's voice made me look up from my cellphone.

"What the hell...?", I whispered.

I left my phone on the bedside table, with a half-written reply to Aiba-chan's e-mail, and sat up on bed, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, letting him know that I didn't quite understand what was going on.

He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, with just his underwear on, trying to make what seemed to be a sexy pose. Truth is, he was better at it than I thought, but I couldn't understand why he had told me he was embarrassed about me seeing his underwear, and then appeared in like that, trying to arouse me.

"Don't you like it?", he said, fixing his eyes on me.

"What?"

"What you see. My underwear... and me..."

"Yeah, everything’s all nice", I cleared my throat. "Now put on your pajamas and come to bed, come on. I'm a little tired and I have to wake up early tomorrow"

He approached the bed, swaying his hips, ignoring what I had just said. I looked away because I knew that, if I kept staring at him, I wouldn't be able to control myself much longer.

"I can think of better things to do than sleep", he said, placing his hands and knees on the bed, and slowly moving closer to me.

"I'm serious. I have a lot of work tomorrow"

"I'm serious too"

He straddled me, grabbed my chin with his hand to force me to look at him, and with the other, he took my hand and placed it on his hip.

"What are you doing?", I frowned.

"Don't you feel like catching a ranchuu tonight?"

His tone was meant to be suggestive, but I found it annoying.

He knew perfectly well that I didn't want sex, I had never led him think otherwise, but he kept insisting, over and over. First there was the romantic dinner in New York, to make the most of the wine excuse and kissing me in the bathroom, and now this. Directly in his underwear, straddling me on the bed.

I was dying to touch him, I won't deny it, but I had decided against it so I wouldn’t fall any deeper in love and become more addicted to him. So I wouldn’t hurt myself. However, he didn't seem willing to respect my decision.

And that bothered me.

"No, I don't feel like it", I firmly replied, releasing myself from his hands and moving him away from me. "Now, I'm going to leave the room, and I hope that when I get back, you'll have calmed down"

I put on my robe and slippers, grabbed my cell phone and left the room, furious.

I was more frustrated with myself and my own feelings than angry at him, but I needed to get out of that room or I would go crazy. I went downstairs to the VIP lounge, where I had a warm cup of tea and tried to breathe deeply. To make time and to calm myself down, I finished replying to Aiba-chan's e-mail and, reading it over again, I realized I had given him advice I wasn't following myself.

I wasn't listening to what my heart was telling me.

But it was a completely different situation. I was not like Aiba-chan, nor was I willing to accept Ranchuu being with other men while he was my partner. Besides, I knew he didn't have any feelings for me, and that my fairytale had no chance at a happy ending. It didn't make sense for me to get carried away and enjoy a happiness that wasn't real, only to end up crashing face-first against into a wall.

I sighed, finished my tea and went back to the room.

More than an hour had passed and it was already late. Ranchuu would be sleeping, so I would be able to lie down and try to sleep. I would have to think about how to explain my behavior to him the next day, since it was most likely exaggerated looking at it from the outside. However, when I opened the door, I saw that he was still awake.

He had put on one of the white bathrobes from the bathroom, and was sitting in the middle of the bed, with his legs crossed, and the saddest expression in the world on his face. And I felt my heart sinking.

"I'm sorry...", he said, almost in a whisper.

I sighed as I closed the door and approached the bed.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I think I'm the one that owes you an explanation"

He didn't say anything.

He kept sitting there, head lowered, with that expression that was breaking my soul. I left my cell phone on the bedside table, sat on the bed and placed my arm around him, pulling him closer and gently stroking his hair.

"Listen, it's not that I don't like you. I don't want you to think, not even for a second, that you aren't attractive", I sighed. "It's just that... I decided on our relationship being this way... without intimate contact. When I decided to hire an escort, I never had physical contact in mind, I always thought it’d be more like a traveling companion, someone to share all the things I see every day in all of these wonderful cities", I stopped for a few seconds. "You know, I realized that I’ve missed out on so many things until now. I didn't know how to enjoy what I had until I started sharing it with you. And I have to thank you for that, Ranchuu. I had no right to speak to you the way I did tonight, not when you're making my life amazing every day you spend with me"

"Sho-san... I... I'm sorry for not respecting you..."

"It's all been forgotten. I went downstairs to have a tea, I calmed down and I realized I shouldn't take my frustrations out on you, when it's not your fault"

"As an escort, I shouldn't make you angry. My job is to make sure you are happy, and I failed in that today. You had every right to be angry", he sighed. "I only hope you can give me another chance... please... I want to continue seeing you and traveling with you"

"What are you talking about? I’ve never once thought about telling you to stop coming with me. I'm stubborn and maybe too serious sometimes, but I'm not stupid. I don't want to be miserable again, like how I was before I met you"

He didn't say anything, so I suggested getting into bed.

Once we were already comfortable and he was in my arms, he cuddled against my chest, as he did every night. And I could feel his breathing was heavy.

He was crying.

"Thank you", he said.

He was thanking me for being an ass and making him cry.

He really was an angel.


	11. Versace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

Masaki was like a ray of sunshine.

I could feel everything lighting up when he was around, and he filled every corner with his warmth. Having him around with his bubbly personality was refreshing most of the time, though I have to admit that occasionally he exasperated me with his clumsiness. Especially when he would ask what was going on, as if he had just landed here from Mars.

It was then when I would lose my patience and often became angry at him. Masaki knew I didn't have much patience to begin with, and exhausting it was easy, so my outbursts weren't that serious. Usually, my anger was gone after a few minutes, without us having to talk about it or him having to do anything. Though, if I happened to be in a really bad mood, I did take it out on him and we argued.

I never apologized, but I knew he forgave me.

After all, he was my little ray of sunshine. He perfectly knew that he was, and that I could never get seriously mad at him. As clumsy and exasperating as he could be at times, all his virtues completely eclipsed those little things that exhausted my patience. Though, we didn't see each other that much as of late.

He didn't live off his image anymore and had left his parents' home, but Masaki was nice to everyone and managed to be liked wherever he went. He kept acquaintances in the entertainment world, not only actors and models, but also directors and producers, and sometimes they asked him the favor of taking part in a new commercial or campaign. It didn't happen very often, because Masaki really wanted to distance himself from his past, but it happened that he was shooting one of those commercials at that time.

To be honest, it was hard for me.

I practically only saw him at the agency, except for those very few nights I managed to get him sleeping over at my place. We didn't hang out together and he sent e-mails less often. I kept e-mailing him as I used to, but he took longer to reply, since he was busy, and when he did, they were usually brief, giving only the minimum information necessary. Sometimes it didn't even sound like Masaki was the one replying.

He was cheerful, talkative, and full of energy. His e-mails were always filled with emotes and hearts. It was part of being the ray of sunshine he was. But now he hardly included a couple of emotes, or one at the end as much, to say goodbye. I admit that his e-mails made me sigh with sorrow, and sometimes even made me frown, but I always told myself I had to understand that he also had a life and commitments.

"Is everything alright with Aiba?", Ohno asked one morning.

We had just picked up our schedule of appointments for the day and were walking out of the building where our agency was. I had taken the chance to pick up Nino's schedule as well, since we had arranged to have breakfast together.

"Yeah, why?", I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ohno shrugged.

"I don't know"

"What do you mean you don't know? If you asked, there must be a reason"

"No, it's just me. It doesn't matter"

"Speak"

"I thought that maybe you were falling apart, that's all"

"No way. We see each other less often now because he's busy with that commercial he's making, but it doesn't have anything to do with our relationship. Everything is alright"

Ohno was pensive.

"It's odd", he said.

"What is?"

"I always thought there was something between you and Nino"

I froze.

Ohno had noticed.

"What do you mean?", I asked.

"What I said. I always thought you two would end up together"

"Nino and I? Really?"

I pretended to be surprised. Ohno nodded.

"Really"

"Don't be silly", I forced a smile. "Nino and I are friends. We have affection for one another and we get along well, but we're always getting angry at each other over little things as well. I'm not sure it would ever work"

He looked at me.

"Then you've thought about it"

"No, not at all", I cleared my throat. "I just thought about it now"

"I see"

Judging by the expression on his face, he looked amused.

"What is so funny?"

"I thought it'd be interesting"

"What would?"

"That you were going out with Aiba only because you think Nino ignores you"

That hurt.

As usual, Ohno noticed much more than it seemed.

"Yeah, it would be pretty stupid of me", I pretended to laugh.

"Indeed"

He attentively watched me for a moment, as if he were trying to read the expression on my face or if he were waiting for me to say something else. Or admit something. Then he smiled, in that kind and warm way of his, and said he had to go buy a couple of things for his trip with Sakurai the next day.

I stood on the street for a while.

Ohno knew.

I don't know how, but he knew.

I had decided to forget about my feelings for Nino, which had gotten me nowhere, and focus on Masaki, who expressed his love openly, as if shouting it from the rooftops. Over time, I became hooked on his optimistic and cheerful way of seeing the world, on that person so full of life, who believed everyone was kind and trusted people so easily. But now I wasn’t so sure whether what I felt for him was love anymore.

After my rather weird and somewhat cryptic conversation with Ohno, I started to think that maybe he was right and I was only with Aiba to forget Nino. I didn't know for sure. I was confused. But doubts were growing stronger, and I couldn't stop thinking about it on the train to Nino's place.

Nevertheless, I decided to leave it aside, for the time being.

Maybe I was only confused because I hadn't seen Masaki in a long time.

When I reached Nino's place and rang the bell, no one answered. I waited a minute and rang it again, but still received no answer, so I decided to call him.

" _Moshi-moshi_...", his voice sounded hoarse.

"Are you sleeping?"

"Not anymore"

"I'm at your door"

"Why didn't you ring the bell?"

"I did. Twice"

"Oh", he was silent. "I'll let you in now"

"OK"

Moments later, Nino opened the door to his apartment.

He was still in his pajamas, his hair was a mess, and he had heavy bags under his eyes. I raised an eyebrow when I saw him, and he made a face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?", he said, closing the door.

"Have you seen yourself?"

"Bah, shut up. I went out drinking yesterday, and I have a hangover"

He turned around and walked to the living room, where he plopped onto the couch.

I followed him and watched him standing in the doorway.

"You went out? Why didn't you call me?"

"I figured you were busy with your boyfriend. Besides, I wanted to be alone"

I rolled my eyes and sat down next to him on the couch.

"I wasn't with Masaki"

"Ah, no?"

"No. Lately, I don't see him all that much"

He was the one rolling his eyes now.

"What?", I asked.

"You're blind"

"Why do you say that?"

"Aiba is playing you"

"What are you talking about? Masaki wouldn't be able to fool around with some other guy"

"That's not what I mean", he sighed and looked at me. "What I’m saying is that he's ignoring you, Jun. Once he had you, he got bored and now he's showing it by ignoring you"

"Don't talk nonsense", I snorted.

"You know it isn't nonsense, that's why it pisses you off. How long's it been since you actually had a date with him?"

"Sometimes he sleeps over at my place"

"How much is 'sometimes'?"

"Once a week or so"

"Once a week or less, I think you mean"

I sighed and shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

"He's busy, Nino"

"Yeah, sure, he's busy", he rolled his eyes again. "How can you be so blind? I really don't understand it, Jun"

"It's just a phase, it'll pass soon"

"A phase that’s lasted…how long now?"

"Fifteen days"

"Fifteen days?", he raised an eyebrow.

"OK, maybe a month"

"Or more"

I looked away and clicked my tongue.

"I don't need you to remind me that I can't see him as much as I'd like to, you know? It's already hard enough", I sighed and looked at him. "What the hell is going on with you lately, Nino? You're always angry and on the defensive. Let alone the fact that you can't stand Masaki. You took a disliking to him ever since the day you met"

"You're imagining things"

"Yeah, sure, just like it’s my imagination that you went out drinking alone until some ungodly hour last night and wound up getting hammered"

"It wasn't that big of a deal"

"No? Then why do you have a hangover?"

"It's normal to have a hangover after drinking"

"Is it normal not waking up at the sound of the doorbell as well?"

"You're making a mountain out of a molehill"

"Nino, I rang the doorbell twice. And I assure you that the second time I left my finger there for a while. What happened? I’m worried"

"Nothing’s happened, you pest", he snorted. "I was kicked out of my part time job because they didn't need as much staff, and I’ve got a ton of free time until I find another one. That's why I go out and drink"

I sighed for the umpteenth time that morning.

"If it's only out of boredom, you should do something else"

"Yes, mom", he chuckled.

"I'm serious, Nino. Have you gone out drinking before this?"

"Yes, I've gone out and drank some other days, but it's not something I do every day"

"Seriously, call me next time, okay?"

He clicked his tongue.

"Nino, I'm serious", he insisted. "It's fine if you want to go out drinking from time to time, but if you're planning to get drunk, call me. I don't want you to wind up sleeping God-knows-where one day"

"OK, OK"

Nino seriously worried me.

As much as he said it was in my imagination, lately he was more in a bad mood than in a good mood. Especially towards me. Nino was ironic and sarcastic, but he used to be a positive person who generally preferred to joke around rather than argue. But lately he was always on the defensive. It was easy to say something that annoyed him, and he used to take my comments to heart more than before.

That morning, we didn't go out to have breakfast. We stayed at his place, where I made coffee and toast, with bread I had bought at the supermarket. Nino didn't eat much, he said he felt sick because of his hangover, but I noticed that he had lost weight. Either he had a hangover more often than he admitted, or he lied and wasn't eating properly.

Either way, he had me worried.

Since I hardly ever spent my nights with Masaki anymore, I began waking up early and going to the supermarket to buy breakfast to have it with Nino at his place. Sometimes it would be a simple coffee from the _konbini_ , but most of the time I would prepare a European or American style breakfast. He still didn't eat much, and I think the little he did eat was probably to keep me quiet. Many mornings, his eyes were swollen and puffy, as if he hadn't slept much. But when I asked him about it, he always replied that he had slept enough, and I was only seeing things.

Little by little, I noticed he was getting in a better mood, smiling and joking around as usual, but I still had the feeling he was only pretending because I was there. To me, it was obvious that he was making an effort to show me just how well he was, when both of us knew he wasn’t really.

But he wouldn’t speak about it, and I couldn't do anything.

Except trying to take care of him the best I knew how.


	12. Ranchuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

Everything was strange that day.

Sho-san would always take me on trips, but he never hired me when we were back in Tokyo. He had been acting odd ever since that night in Paris, keeping his distance even more than usual, as if he were afraid of something. But I didn't know what.

That morning, Aiba called to tell me that Sho-san had asked to spend the rest of the day with me, after I took care of my last customer. Of course, it wasn't a problem for me. I liked spending time with Sho-san, who was always warm and gentlemanly, but I couldn't help my surprise. After all, we were in Tokyo and had just returned from one of our trips only a couple of days ago.

Maybe there was something he wanted to speak about.

I left my customer's house wearing the same clothes and without taking a shower because I didn't have time. I had to catch the train and reach the other side of Tokyo in half an hour, so the clock was ticking and I couldn't get distracted or I wouldn't make it. And, well, Sho-san had made very clear at several times that he'd never touch me, so I didn't think it was that important anyway.

As usual, I wasn't so lucky.

There was some accident on the tracks and we were stopped for almost ten minutes. I was anxious because I didn't like to make anyone wait, least of all Sho-san, who was a special customer, and I began to get especially nervous when I saw that it was half past five, the hour I had arranged to meet with him, and I still had several stops ahead.

Although the train was now moving, I was late just the same.

Aiba called to ask where I was and I explained what had happened. I assumed Sho-san had contacted him, seeing as how I hadn't showed up, and that Aiba would call him back to let him know that I wouldn't be much longer, but I still felt uneasy.

And it felt like that until I opened the door to the attic apartment.

Sho-san ran to greet me, without even giving me time to say hello, and held me tightly in his arms, pulling me close to his body. I could feel he had been anxious too, waiting for me, and I couldn't help smiling tenderly. In the end, Sho-san was like a little kid.

"Ranchuu!", he exclaimed. "Finally!"

"I'm sorry", I said, wrapping my arms around his waist to hug him back. "It seems like there was an accident somewhere and all the trains were delayed. I was going crazy, thinking about how late I was"

"It doesn't matter", he said, smelling my hair. "The important thing is that..."

Is that...? Why had he suddenly gone quiet?

He smelled my hair again and moved away to look at me, frowning.

"You smell... different...", he said, almost in a whisper.

"Ah, sorry", I could feel my cheeks turning red. "I've come straight from my previous appointment. I didn't have time to change my clothes or take a shower"

He frowned more and walked away from me. He walked to the window, where he stopped and sighed, running his fingers through his hair, clearly trying to hold back his emotions. I didn't understand why, but Sho-san was visibly furious. His cheeks were a bright shade of red and his fists were tightly clenched as he bit at his lower lip.

"Get in the shower", he said, after a while.

I stood there, without doing or saying anything. It's not that I didn't want to listen to him, I just froze because of his cold and cutting tone, and I was unable to move or react in any way.

He sighed. I think my attitude infuriated him more.

"Get in the shower... please...", he insisted.

"Sho-san, I'm sorry", I said. "I didn't think it was important, I..."

He spun around at that moment and shot daggers at me with his eyes.

It was a cruel look that I had never seen before in Sho-san.

"You didn't think it was important?", he said, in a rather angry tone. "Coming here from an appointment with another man, smelling of his cologne, isn't important? Just what is important to you, then?"

I didn't like his disdain towards me.

"Because we never do anything, I didn’t think it would matter", I replied.

I wasn't trying to be harsh or provoke him. I had only been honest and said what I thought, but he didn't seem to like it and finally exploded.

"We never do anything, you say?", he snorted. "To me, our trips together, our nights together, all the hours we spent together, talking or in silence, are definitely something, you know. And in these past few months, you've become someone important to me. So of course it bothers me that you would come here smelling like another man!"

His tone had been increasing with each word and, by the time he finished, he was yelling. I wasn't used to my customers speaking to me in such a way, much less yelling at me, so I couldn't help but frown.

"Don't yell at me", I said. "You don't need to yell at me"

"I wouldn't yell at you if you were a little more considerate"

"Considerate, you say? If you weren't such a prude, I wouldn't need other men"

His eyes widened and he looked at me in disbelief as I headed to the bathroom, to take the shower he wanted me to take so badly.

"Ranchuu, wait"

"I don't want to listen to you!"

I went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Who did he think he was speaking to me like that?

He knew perfectly well that he wasn't my only customer, I didn't understand why all the fuss just because my hair smelled like my previous customer's cologne. I had already explained to him that I couldn't take a shower in order to be on time for my date with him, and even then he yelled at me and said all those awful things. Maybe I shouldn't have responded the same way, but he had ticked me off. He didn't want to touch me, but he didn't want other people to touch me either. It wasn't fair. He knew it. And I was sure that he also knew that he had treated me unfairly that afternoon. But the worst thing was that now I felt bad about everything.

In the end, I regretted having called him a prude and that if he hadn’t been one, I wouldn't need others. Mainly, because it didn't make any sense. Sho-san was the customer, he decided what he wanted to do and what he didn't want to do, I had no right to judge him because he didn't want to sleep with me, much less reproaching him like I'd done. What the hell was happening to me? I had never reproached a customer for anything before. Although it was true that no customer had ever yelled at me before either.

Whatever the case, I had to apologize for crossing the limit.

After ten minutes under the hot water of the shower, I managed to calm down and was able to leave the bathroom more relaxed, ready to work things out with him and not repeat that ridiculous situation in the future.

He immediately stood up and looked at me.

"I said too much", I said, almost in whisper. "I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry too", he replied, approaching me and taking my face in his hands. "I know I don't have the right to get angry or speak to you like that, I'm really sorry. I just couldn't control myself because... because..."

He was silent again.

I looked at him puzzled, not understanding what was going on, but he just rested his forehead against mine, and let out a sigh.

"Sho-san?", I said, showing my confusion.

He remained silent for a moment, before speaking again.

"After all the stupid things I said. Do you still want to spend the rest of the day with me?", he asked me .

I nodded immediately .

"Yes, of course"

"Fine then. I need to prepare a few things", he said, taking a business card out of his wallet and writing an address on the back. "So come to this address in two hours, please", he handed me the card and looked at me. "Will you?"

I looked at the card in his hand, took it, and read it, before nodding.

"It's a hotel, right? Which room should I go to?"

"Tell the staff that you've come to see me. They will guide you"

I looked at him.

I didn't understand what was happening, even less what was going through Sho-san's mind, but I decided to trust him, as I had always done, and follow his instructions. If it were another man, I might've asked more questions and wouldn't trust him so quickly, but this was Sho-san, and I knew I could blindly trust him.

"And where are you going?", I asked.

"I'll tell you later", he kissed my forehead. "In two hours, okay?"

I nodded, though I think my expression was still somewhat bewildered.

"Okay", I said. "I'll be there"

That night, I arrived on time at the hotel where Sho-san and I had arranged to meet, and was escorted by the bellhop to the door of the suite where he was waiting for me. He left me alone, saying that I could knock the door when I wanted, but I was so nervous that it took me a couple of minutes to actually do it.

When I finally made up my mind, I gently knocked and waited.

"Come in", said Sho-san from inside.

I entered the room and closed the door behind me to find him standing next to the bed, holding a bouquet of red roses in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other. I was so surprised that I couldn't react at first.

I couldn't believe what I was living.

"What's all this?", I asked him.

I was flabbergasted as I observed everything, and I couldn't stop looking at him in disbelief. I wasn't sure if I liked the scene or not, and I didn't know if the chills that ran down my spine meant something good or something bad.

"Ranchuu, these are for you", he said, taking a step forward and offering the flowers and chocolates. "I spent quite a while picking them out, so I hope you'll accept them"

"What? Why? I don't... no..."

I wasn’t able to utter a coherent sentence.

"I love you, Ranchuu. I've loved you since the very first moment"

I froze.

What did he mean he loved me? He had gone crazy!? I knew Sho-san was a special person, who liked to sleep while cuddling against me and was quite affectionate, but I never thought there was anything beyond that. I only saw him as a romantic customer, adorable even, in his own way. And now he handed me all of this. He was even wearing a suit.

I think I turned white.

"What are you saying?", I asked, bewildered.

I wasn't really expecting a reply, but he gave me one.

"Since I saw you on the windowsill of the attic apartment, I knew you were special... and... I wanted to have you by my side... and I didn't dare to say anything because I was afraid of being rejected", he looked at me. "But I can't stand it anymore. Our trips together, they just aren't enough...", he took a deep breath. "I want you... to be my partner... to be with me... and no one else..."

He offered me the flowers and chocolates again, but I didn't take them.

He'd said he wanted me to be his partner.

"Sho-san, I...", I didn't know to pull all of my thoughts together. "I'm an escort. I was doing my job. I'm sorry if I confused you at some point, I thought you understood how this worked", I looked away from him, I couldn't keep watching the expression on his face as I broke his heart. "I've grown fond of you these past few months and there may be some physical attraction too, but... that's all..."

I felt a stabbing pain in my heart.

For some reason, it was hurting me too. And Sho-san didn't say anything, so I was going crazy. Seconds passed by like hours and I didn't want to be in that room anymore. I didn't want to hear his broken words. I didn't want to see the pain on his face.

"I think that for both our sakes...", I continued. "It’s best that we don't see each other anymore..."

I had to bite my lip to hold back my tears as I left the room and quickly walked to the elevator.

I was drowning in there.


	13. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

I couldn't stand the charade any longer.

Since Jun had started dating Aiba, I had started to go out less often. I took care of my escort services and would head straight back to my apartment, where I fed myself with precooked or ordered meals. The few times I did go out were to get drunk. And Jun noticed.

He and his damn sixth sense always noticed everything, and as much as I tried to convince him that nothing was wrong, he kept looking at me with a raised eyebrow, to show that he still didn't believe me and he wouldn't stop until I told him what was going on. And he was serious.

He began to come to my house every morning to make sure I had a proper breakfast, and would ask me over and over if I was getting enough sleep. I didn't lie. I told him that I was sleeping the necessary number of hours, and it was the truth. I just omitted that I had been crying myself to sleep.

I'm not a weak person, I don't cry very often, much less for an unrequited love, but the situation had been overwhelming me for weeks, and the only way to rid myself of all the tension that had been accumulating was to cry and just let it all out. And it would've been a perfect plan to continue with my normal life, without anyone realizing what was really going on, if it weren't for Jun and his sixth sense. And it wasn't like having him at my house every morning helped.

I tried to fake a smile and a pleasant mood, but Jun was no fool. He asked me if I still went out to drink, and I couldn't lie to him. Aside from that, he would've found out anyway. He knew me too well. And I knew that as long as I kept on drinking, he wouldn't stop coming to my house every morning.

Most of the time, my intent was to go out and have a beer or two at some nearby bar, but I always ended up thinking about Jun, about Aiba, and the stupid situation I was living, and by the time I realized it, I had already drank too much, without even noticing.

Jun had told me to call him when I planned to get drunk, that way he could at least make sure I didn't end up spending the night lying wherever, and he got mad when he saw I had a hangover and hadn't called him. But I couldn't tell him that I was going out to drink when getting drunk wasn't in my plans. It was something that just happened. And once I was drunk, I was too ashamed to call him to pick me up so late at night.

I was pathetic. And I didn't want Jun to see me like that.

"I'm being serious here, Nino", he said one morning, frowning. "I'm going to get seriously pissed off if I find you like this again and you didn't call me"

"Listen, I'm an adult. I'll do what I want"

"Yes, you are an adult, that's true. But you're selfish too, because you know perfectly well that I worry about you, and even then, you still behave like a rebellious teenager"

"Says the one with the boyfriend who ignores him"

He looked at me in silence.

"What does that have to do with this?"

"Well, you act as if your hormones were out of control and you go after Aiba like a teenager in heat. So spare me the lecture"

He fell silent again, then he stood up.

"I left you some juice in the fridge", he said, grabbing his jacket. "Just in case you felt like having it when you've finished your coffee"

I sighed and clicked my tongue.

I had done it again. I had taken out my frustrations on Jun, when he was only worried and trying to care of me.

"Jun, wait", I said, standing up too. "Stay and we'll have the juice together"

"I can't. I have to go to the agency"

"Ah, yeah... to see Aiba, of course..."

Jun sighed.

"It's about the only time of day when I can see him"

"I know, I know. Leave already"

He looked at me.

"I told you to leave, now go", I insisted. "I can have the juice by myself"

"Call me if you need anything"

"Yes, yes"

"I'm serious, Nino"

"OK, pain in the ass"

Once Jun left, I laid down on the couch for a while. My head still hurt, so I decided to take something that might help with the ache, and rested my eyes for a bit. An hour later, I woke up, I drank the juice Jun had brought and got ready to go to the agency to pick my schedule for the day.

When I checked, I saw that I didn't have too many customers, so I figured it'd be a somewhat relaxed day, and I could go home early. But then I discovered I had a duplex service with Versace, or what's the same: a threesome with Jun. If it had been any other day, I wouldn't have minded. Now that Jun was dating Aiba, doing threesomes with him wasn't as funny as before, but I then reminded myself that I was only working and was usually able to come out of the situation with flying colors. However, that day my spirits were at rock bottom.

I'd gotten drunk the night before, had a hangover, I wasn't in the best physical or psychological condition. All I wanted was to take care of my customers as soon as possible and go back home, without doing the service with Jun. I prayed all day for that customer to cancel his appointment, but I wasn't so lucky, and at five o'clock I was in a hotel bed, naked, with a stranger and Jun.

It was the longest hour and a half in a long time.

I tried to focus on the customer and not stare too much at Jun, whose nakedness was near perfection, and when we finished, I quickly put my clothes back on. I think Jun stayed to take a shower, but I couldn't stay there any longer. I was about to explode, and I didn't want it to happen in front of Jun or, even less, in front of a customer.

I took a shower at home, where I stayed under the water for a while. I didn't cry. I didn't want to cry. But I had to force myself to hold back the tears as I remembered Jun's body being caressed by another man's hands, and his lips kissing the lips of that stranger. For a moment, it even made me sick, and I began to wonder if I'd be able to keep on participating in threesomes with him.

Until that moment, my job as an escort had never been a problem, and I thought it never would be, but remembering how that guy touched Jun in such a lascivious way, turned my stomach.

When I finished my shower, I tried to watch some TV, but I couldn't focus and my thoughts were driving me crazy, so I ended up going to the bar that was a short ways down from my building, and drank _sake_ for hours, until the owner told me he was about to close.

I don't even know what time that was.

It was probably around three or four in the morning when I got home, unable to stand on my own two feet, and I grabbed my cell phone, which I had forgotten on the living room table. My vision wasn't clear, it was somewhere between double and half blurry, but I could make out the notification of several missed calls. And, when I opened the call list, I knew right away the _kanji_ that repeated on the screen more than ten times was Jun's.

I would've recognized it just by seeing the outline.

I lay on my bed and pushed the button to compose a new e-mail.

 

_"I'm at home._

_Alone. Drunk._

_Thinking about your damn voice, your damn hands, your damn smile, your damn eyes, your damn way of walking..._

_Damn it, Jun! Damn it..."_

 

I left my cell phone on the bedside table and covered myself with my blankets.

My life sucked. The guy I was in love with slept with strangers every day and was dating another guy who totally ignored him. He deserved better, but he refused to see it. And I couldn't do a thing. Only spending my nights thinking about him, mostly getting drunk, and putting a smile on the next day when he came to my house to bring me breakfast. I couldn't understand how I ended up in such a position, being so sad and feeling so stupid.

I was falling asleep, when by doorbell startled me.

I glanced at my clock. Five in the morning.

"Nino, open the door, please"

Was that Jun's voice?

I sat on the bed, yawned and rubbed at my eyes.

"Nino, I know you're in there. Open up!"

My head hurt and everything around me was spinning, but I tried to hurry as quickly as possible to open the door before Jun woke up all of my neighbors and they called the police.

"It's five in the morning", I said as I opened the door. "You're going to wake up the entire neighborhood"

He entered my apartment, without asking, and turned to stare at me, though it wasn't a harsh look. It was a different look, worried, but soft and sweet at the same time.

I couldn't help but blush as I closed the door.

"Nino...", he said.

"You didn't need to come. I'm fine"

"You've been saying for months that you're fine, but you and I know that isn't true. Quit lying to me...", he pulled out his cell phone and showed me the e-mail I had just sent to him. "What is this?"

"An e-mail"

"I know it's an e-mail. I'm not blind, nor am I stupid. But what does it mean? What are you trying to tell me, Nino?"

"Well... that..."

"What's 'that'?"

I sighed, ran my hand through my hair and ruffled it.

"I'm sorry I sent it. I'm drunk and I just lost it"

"No, you didn't lose anything. We both know it"

I looked at him, trying to figure out exactly what he knew.

"This afternoon, you didn't even look at me once, do you think I'm an idiot?", he continued. "And then, you shot out of there as if you couldn't stand being in the hotel another minute, and..."

"OK, I love you", I interrupted. "Happy?"

"What?"

"I love you. You already heard me"

There were a few seconds of silence, in which Jun continued staring at me, and I was looking away, wishing the earth would swallow me up. Why did I always have to open my big mouth when I was drunk?

"Nino... I... love you too..."

I looked at him and noticed his eyes had begun to sparkle.

He was being sincere.

"What about... Aiba?", I asked, still not knowing what was going on.

"Our relationship isn't real. You were right", he sighed. "I've been in love with you for a long time now, but I thought you didn't feel the same and took shelter in Aiba. I thought everything would be fine if I did my part, but I realized that I can't force myself to love him... because I already love you... As much as I've tried to fool myself and hide my feelings so that I wouldn't suffer, they've always been there"

I blinked.

"You've loved me for a long time?"

Jun nodded and smiled.

"And you've loved me for a long time too. I understand that now"

"Oh, shut up and come here"

I wrapped him in my arms and pulled him close to me, holding him tight, as if I were afraid he would vanish if I let go. He put his arms around me too and stroked my hair.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell Masaki"

"Just tell him. It's better to be straightforward and get it over with"

Jun chuckled.

"You always see everything so simply. But on the other hand, look at the mess you caused for being proud and not admitting earlier that you're head over heels about me"

"Oh, Jun, shut up, seriously"

Neither of us said anything else that night.

We stayed that way for several minutes, embracing each other in silence, and then Jun went home. He was still Aiba's partner, and neither of us thought it fair to sleep together, even if we wouldn't actually do anything, before Jun spoke to him.

And my drunkenness was suddenly gone.

I wasn't fully aware of what had happened, but for first time in a long time, I felt free.

I felt good.


	14. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

I had reached my limit.

After the trip to Paris and how Ranchuu had ended up crying in my arms, I began to think about our situation differently. I knew he wanted to sleep with me, though I didn't understand why, but I also knew I wouldn't be able to have sex with him and then act as if nothing had happened. And it was only a matter of time before he tried again.

Besides, I was becoming increasingly addicted to him, and had reached the point in which our trips weren't enough and needed to meet him even when we were in Tokyo. At first, I held back because I knew he had more customers, but when we returned from Paris I couldn't hold back anymore. I called Aiba-chan and told him I wanted to hire Ranchuu for the rest of the day, when he finished with his last customer.

Surprisingly, he finished his work before I expected that day.

Aiba-chan told me that Ranchuu could meet from half past five on, and I went crazy. A smile appeared on my face and I arrived super early to the attic apartment where we'd planned to meet because I wanted everything to be neat and perfect for him. I had just seen him about two days earlier, but I missed him so much that I was dying to hold him again, and every second that passed I grew more and more anxious.

He was late because his train was delayed, but I didn't really care. The moment he opened the door, I ran to hug him, as if our time together were ending soon, and I held him tight in my arms as if I hadn't seen him in years. He hugged me back and apologized, saying that he had gone crazy while on the train thinking about how late he was. But it didn’t matter. The important thing was that he was now there with me, and we would spend the rest of the afternoon and evening together.

Until I noticed a strange scent in his hair.

When I mentioned it to him, he said he had come straight from his previous appointment, without taking a shower, to be able to make it on time, and I went into a jealous rage. I tried to calm down and hide it, but I ended up yelling at him, telling him to get into the shower and saying he was inconsiderate for coming to my appointment smelling like another man's cologne. He frowned, clearly upset, and told me that if I weren't a prude, he wouldn't need other men.

And he was right.

He had been cruel, saying it in such a way, without any warning, but the truth was that he was right. I had more than acceptable reasons for not wanting to touch him, but I couldn't explain them without confessing what I felt for him, so it was normal he'd become frustrated. In fact, he had endured it much longer than I think any other person would've done in his place. But the situation was becoming very tense between us; I was beginning to be jealous of his other customers and was losing control.

When he came out of the shower, I didn't know how to apologize. I had behaved like a jerk again, and I felt that apologizing wasn't enough anymore. Fortunately, he took the initiative, saying he had said too much, which helped me approach him, take his face in my hands and convey just how sorry I was for speaking to him the way I had just minutes earlier. But, when I tried to explain myself honestly, I almost said too much and nearly told him how I really felt.

Then I realized that maybe it was time to do it.

Otherwise, the tension between us would keep on growing, since I already felt helpless. I was head over heels about Ranchuu, and every day that passed was worse. I had to move forward with it, tell him, and whatever would be, would be. Although I have to say that it was one of the scariest decisions I'd ever made in my life.

We arranged to meet two hours later at my favorite hotel, and I waited for him in the best suite with a bouquet of fresh roses and a box of expensive chocolates. Ranchuu deserved all that and more. Actually, I strongly believed that nothing I could give to him would ever be enough because he was such a special person, that material things just weren't big enough. What he really deserved was happiness, with someone who treated him like the amazing being he was.

I didn't know if I would meet the expectations, but I wanted to try.

When he arrived, dressed in my best suit, I offered the flowers and chocolates and held out my heart wide open. Without beating around the bush. I dove head first into the pool, praying I wouldn't find it empty, but I was too optimistic. He told me he was an escort, that he was only doing his job, and apologized if he had confused me with his actions, saying the best thing for the two of us was to not see each other anymore.

And he left.

Leaving me there, with my stupid chocolates, my stupid flowers, my stupid suit and my stupid feelings. Feeling stupid, in that stupid suite.

It was all over.

And my hell began.

Feeling like the world's biggest idiot for believing that my fairytale love could come true, I continued traveling to do my promotions, as usual, but without Ranchuu. And if those trips hadn't already been a nightmare before I'd met him, now they were worse. I missed him terribly, and I knew I couldn't do anything about it. Except looking at his pictures on my phone. The only thing I had left of him.

I was alone again. And on top of it all, with my heart broken in pieces.

After a couple of months had passed, Aiba-chan called me asking if something had happened with Ranchuu. I told him about the stupid scene I'd made in the suite of the hotel, and my friend was silent, as if he were carefully thinking about something.

"You know", he said. "I think the agency is living its last days"

"Eh? Why do you say that? Aren't things going well?"

"Ranchuu has neglected his other customers to spend so much time with you, and now he's having a hard time getting new customers. Shadow went through a tough time, which he seems to be getting over now, but many of his customers haven't called back. And my relationship with Versace is only getting worse", he sighed. "I'm thinking about leaving Tokyo"

"Leaving Tokyo? Wasn't it your dream to come here?"

"It was. When I thought I was in love with Versace", he sighed again. "I have to talk to him, but I'm afraid that we don't have many days left working together. I'll tell you more details when I have them"

The truth was that I felt kind of guilty for keeping Ranchuu busy for so long, but at that moment I just wanted to be with him, and I would've done whatever was necessary to have him by my side for as long as I could.

"Whatever you want to do, and wherever you go, you have my support"

"Thank you, Sho-chan. Thank you for putting up with my whims and for always supporting my decisions, even when I don't know what I want myself"

I couldn't help smiling.

"We all have the right to get lost and find ourselves again"

When I hung up, I felt like the one who should be grateful was me, to have a friend like him, who even during the times when the two of us were in low spirits, managed to light up my darkness a little, just by being himself. Just saying the things he had always said, since our childhood.

And it seemed like he brought me luck too.

Whenever I spoke with him, something good happened, and that day was no different. At night, while I was watching TV, I received an e-mail.

 

_"Sho-san,_

_Can you come to the suite where we last met?_

_I'll be waiting for you there._

_Ranchuu"_

 

Ranchuu?

He was personally sending an e-mail to me, without Aiba-chan mediating, and from a number I didn't have registered on my phone. Could it be his private number? No way! Since the start it had been made very clear to me that I'd never have any kind of private contact with him. I couldn't even ask him what his parents did for a living or if he had siblings, so it didn't make any sense that it was his private number.

I grabbed my coat, put on my shoes, and left straight away.

I visited the hotel quite often, so when I arrived, one of the porters immediately recognized me and informed me that I had a guest waiting for me. I nodded and followed him on what seemed like an eternal trip in the elevator to the top floor, from there I told that the porter he could leave, since I knew the way. He handed me a keycard to enter the room and excused himself.

I hurried down the hall until I reached the door of that room that I knew so well, I clumsily opened it and couldn't believe he was really there.

Dressed in a suit, with a bouquet of red roses in his hand and a box of chocolates resting on the bed, Ranchuu turned around when he heard the sound of the door and smiled at me. With that warmth of his.

"You came", he said, taking a step forward. "I... am Ohno Satoshi... and I miss you, Sakurai Sho...", his cheeks turned a shade of pink that I found adorable. "I miss you so much... that I'm willing to do stupid things too... to show you I'm serious..."

He offered me the bouquet of flowers, but I ignored it.

And rushed to wrap him in my arms and kiss him.

He dropped the flowers, letting them fall to the floor, and placed his arms around me, clinging to my back as he returned a kiss filled with all the feelings the two of us had been holding back.

"I thought I'd never see you again", I whispered, gently caressing his cheek. "I was going crazy without you"

"I'm sorry", he said. "I'm sorry I hurt you. When I left this room the day you opened your heart to me, I couldn't hold back my tears. At first, I thought it was because I was fond of you and it hurt me to break your heart, but over time, I realized that what really happened was that I didn't want to say goodbye to you..."

"You don't have to say anything. It's okay"

"No", he insisted. "I want you to know you aren't stupid for being brave and having confessed how you felt. The stupid one was me, who wanted to fool myself into believing that I hadn't fallen for you too, and who ran from this room like a coward"

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything more", I kissed his lips again, savoring the moment. "It's fine. Everything will be fine from now on"

He nodded and smiled.

"I have something for you", he said.

"Yeah, the chocolates", I chuckled.

"Besides the chocolates"

He moved away, but held onto my hand, pulling me with him to one of the bedside tables. He opened the drawer and took out a bunch of unopened envelopes, bundled together with a rubber band tied around them.

I took them, checked them, and then looked at him.

"What's this?"

"The envelopes with the money you've been giving me these past months. They're untouched, I didn't even open them. I've kept them in a drawer, until today"

"But... I-I don't understand... Why?"

"I didn't understand it myself until now", he smiled. "I kept them, without fully understanding why I wasn't able to spend the money inside of them, but today I realized it's because I've always loved you... I just didn't know it"

"Oh God!", I pulled his hand, so he was close enough for me to kiss him, this time with passion and desire. "You are... you are... perfect..."

"No, I'm not", he chuckled. "I'm an idiot"

"Do you know what we're going to with this money? We're going on a luxury trip, wherever you want. It'll be something like a honeymoon, but without the marriage bit"

"Really?!", he hugged me. "I'm so excited to be traveling with you again!"

"Don't worry, it won't be the only trip you'll take with me", I chuckled and hugged him back. "But for now... I hope you've reserved this room for the entire night...", I said as I slid my hand under his shirt, with a mischievous smile on my lips.

That night, I lifted my self-imposed ban.

And Satoshi and I made love until dawn.


	15. Aiba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun (Versace), Nino (Shadow) and Ohno (Ranchuu) are escorts in their free time. Sometimes, their work or social life prevent them from taking proper care of their customers' calls, which was quickly becoming a problem. Aiba, one of the most popular faces in Japan, is one of Jun's customers and offers his help when he learns of the three escorts' situation. Sho, Aiba's best friend, is also a popular face and feels lonely very often. Aiba suggests he hire an escort to keep him company...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

 

 

I was becoming increasingly anxious.

Jun continued coming to see me cheerfully every morning, even when I had been putting him off for weeks. He seemed to continue with the same excitement, and I couldn't forgive myself.

At first, I thought it was his personality that had made my feelings change, but over time I realized that my feelings never changed. They had always been the same. I had never been in love with Jun, but with Versace the escort, who was practically perfect, and now I didn't know how to tell him that I had only fallen for that part of him, that I didn't like the rest.

He'd think I was a spoiled brat and with good reason.

I didn't want to hurt him, but I didn't want him to hate me either. Over time, I had become fond of him, especially because he helped me during many moments when I felt so lonely that I might've exploded, and I didn't want the end of our romantic relationship to be the end of our friendship as well. But I couldn't put it off anymore.

Besides, the agency was teetering on the edge and that was also something I needed to speak with him about. Ohno didn't have as many customers as before, due to all the months he'd spent devoting himself only to Sho-chan, and Nino had been in low spirits for quite some time, which led to some of his customers never calling back again. Jun was still perfect in his work, but my relationship with him was sinking fast, and I didn't know if he would want to continue working with me after what I had to say.

Actually, I had already begun thinking about leaving Tokyo.

I wasn't sure where I'd go just yet, but I had come up with a plan for making use of my life as a popular face. I needed to think about it carefully, but I thought that might be fulfilling, and at the same time it would allow me to do something useful with all money I made.

Time passed by, and day after day I stared at my cell phone, with Jun's number on the screen, trying to gather the strength and courage to call him, but I was never able to do it. And it frustrated me. I looked at myself in the mirror and thought myself a despicable being for treating Jun that way and not even being able to dial his number.

Fortunately, in the end, I didn't need to call him.

One morning, when he came to the agency to see me and pick up his schedule of appointments, he asked if we could meet that night, after work, because there was something he wanted to speak about. He did not look happy and his face was puffy, as if he hadn't slept much the night before, so I figured his news would not be good, but I didn't want to start worrying ahead of time and decided not to think about it too much.

We met at a fast food restaurant in the Shinjuku area, and took the opportunity to have something similar to a dinner. Jun was quiet at first, frowning as his eyes danced between my face and the skyscrapers that could be seen through the window. It seemed as though he was looking for the way to bring up whatever he had to say to me, but it wasn't proving easy for him.

In the end, I couldn't wait anymore, and I was the one who began talking.

"I'm glad we arranged to meet today", I looked at him. "I've had something I've wanted to tell you for some time as well, but I didn't know how to do it"

"Wait. I'll go first"

He finished chewing the food in his mouth and took a long sip of his drink. He rested his elbows on the table, folded his hands, and covered the lower half of his face with them, as he fixed his eyes on me. I shifted in my chair, feeling watched and pierced by those eyes.

"First of all, I want to apologize", he said. "At no time did I intend to play with you, but I did, and I think the least I can do is apologize for it"

I looked at him for several seconds.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but all of it took me by surprise, and I think it showed on my face. I could swear my mouth was half-open and I'd let out a nearly inaudible little gasp.

"With that said, the only thing I have left to do is tell you the truth", he continued. "Nino said it's best if I tell it to you straight, without beating around the bush, and after much thought, I think he's right", he sighed. "Masaki... Nino and I are together..."

"Nino and you?", I asked.

There was no tone of disappointment or sadness in my question. Rather, it was more curiosity and a hint of surprise. If he had been going out with me and Nino at the same time, clearly, I was not the worst one of us.

"Yes, Nino and I. I've been in love with him for a long time, but I thought it was unrequited. Which is why I decided to try a relationship with you, who confessed your love with such excitement and enthusiasm"

"Were you dating the two of us at the same time?"

"No, it isn't like that", he immediately said. "I've only been dating you. Actually, I tried to forget Nino by all possible means and to make our relationship work. I swear I've tried"

"Ah, yeah"

His eyes were again fixed on the buildings and people that could be seen through the windows, then they came back to me, but now it looked as if there was a certain glow of guilt reflected in them.

"You know that Nino has been in low spirits"

"Yeah, I noticed he's been sad lately"

"It was because of me. Last night he was drunk, and sent me an e-mail, in front of which I couldn't hold back and I immediately went to his house. He didn't want to speak at first, but he finally confessed that he feels the same as I do... and I won't lie to you... it made me incredibly happy"

"Jun, wait, don’t say another word"

"I know I'm hurting you, but I want you to know everything..."

"No, no, wait, please. I don't want you to continue apologizing, because there's no reason for it, and I would feel terrible if I allowed the conversation to go on like this."

Jun blinked and looked at me, confused.

"What do you mean?", he asked.

"As I said at the beginning, I've had something I've wanted to tell you for some time now, but I didn't know how to do it", I sighed. "I thought you were in love with me and that you were excited about it, so I didn't want to break your heart, but now that you’ve told me all of this... although it sounds bad… I'm actually relieved, Jun."

"What are you saying exactly?"

"I'm not in love with you either... And I didn't know how to tell you..."

His eyes widened.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, I should've told you weeks ago, when I realized how things were. Perhaps that would've made things much easier for you and Nino. Believe me, now that I know your story, I couldn't be more sorry for having waited all this time", I looked at him. "At some point in our relationship, I began to feel suffocated. At first, I thought it was because of you, but as the days passed, I realized it was me. I think I was never really in love with you, Jun. I only fell for a part of your personality, the one you show as an escort"

"But you practically begged me to go out with you. You even asked Ohno to help you get a dinner date with me outside of work"

"I know, I know, I'm despicable", I lowered my head. "But I promise you at that time I was completely confused, and I thought I had really fallen for you"

Jun snorted and leaned back in his chair.

"I was going to treat you to dinner, to make up for all of this somewhat, but don't worry about it now. I'll take Nino, who deserves it much more"

I let out a chuckle, but he was right. I didn't deserve anything from him.

"I don't blame you for wanting to take Nino. Actually, I think it's a good decision"

"I know it is. Falling for my escort side..."

Putting it that way, it sounded ridiculous.

"I'm sorry", I blushed. "But it's better like this, right? We were both afraid of hurting each other, and neither of us came out badly. I think we should celebrate, instead of getting angry"

He looked at me for a few seconds, then smirked, grabbed his drink and lifted it in the air, waiting for me to do the same.

"To our new life", he said,

"To our happiness", I said.

We toasted and smiled.

"Speaking of a new life, there's something else I want to tell you, Jun"

He finished taking a sip of his drink.

"What is it?"

"It's about the agency. I don't know if you've noticed, but Ohno and Nino's customers have dropped, especially Ohno's. And this morning he called to say that he's probably going to quit being an escort"

"Ohno?"

I nodded.

"He didn't want to tell me any details, but I think it has to do with Sho-chan"

"Well! I didn't know those two were serious"

"Well, don't say anything if Ohno doesn't mention something first. I'm not supposed to talk about it, and besides, I can't say anything is for certain until I speak to Sho-chan and he confirms it"

"Anyway, now that Nino and I are together, I guess that I will quit too because, of course, I'm not planning to let him sleep with other men"

"Hey, you never quit when you were dating me", I pretended to be offended.

Jun chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry. I guess that it was a sign that there were no real feelings on my side. But you can't talk either, because you didn't care that I didn't quit"

"I guess it was also a sign that there weren't any true feelings there"

The conversation ended up being curious.

Neither of us had held any real feelings for each other, but Jun's pride was kind of hurt, and that had us constantly making innuendos toward one another. Of course, it was always in a playful tone, never with the intention of hurting the other. Somehow, the situation had brought us together rather than causing us to fall apart and now there was a special complicity between Jun and I, one in which the tension between us hadn't allowed to emerge before.

As I suspected, Ohno had confessed his feelings to Sho-chan and he called me the next morning to confirm that he was on cloud nine and didn't plan on coming back. I was happy for them, especially for my friend, because I knew that with Ohno by his side would no longer have to feel lonely. Ohno, on his side, would no longer need to worry about his future.

Jun and Nino quit being escorts too, as Jun had told me that night. Nino continued his part time jobs during the day, and some nights he held magic shows at a bar near Shibuya, while Jun got a job as waiter in an Italian restaurant. The owner said his western looks were perfect for attracting customers, and he occasionally allowed Jun to help in the kitchen, which Jun loved.

I decided to set my idea in motion.

I began traveling to developing countries as ambassador of several organizations, to help raise more donations for families and people who really needed it. It was a comforting activity that really fulfilled me, though, at the same time, it was hard to have to see the situation in which some of those people were living while the rest of us lived with so many comforts.

My time in the world of escorts had come to an end, but it had left me with many good things. Among them, three friends who I knew I could always count on, and the proof that two people can dream and fly together as high as they want to.

And like Peter Pan and Wendy, turn out just fine.


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years later...

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

_Based on the song 'Fly with me', by The Jonas Brothers (lyrics_[here](http://www.metrolyrics.com/fly-with-me-lyrics-jonas-brothers.html)).

_Three years later..._

"Sho-chan!"

Masaki hugged his childhood friend with so much strength that he nearly caused him to lose his balance. Sho let out a surprised gasp, and laughed as he tried to regain his equalibrium.

"I'm glad to see you, Aiba-chan", he said, hugging him back.

"I've missed you so much!", Masaki exclaimed, without letting go of him. "Not being able to see you guys is the hardest part of not being in Tokyo"

"Oh! So we exist too?", Nino laughed. "For a moment, I thought you'd forgotten our faces"

I elbowed him.

"Nino, don't be like that", I told him. "Masaki and Sho have been friends for as long as they can remember. It's normal they ignore us after three years of not seeing each other"

Masaki moved away from Sho, wiping away his tears.

"I'm sorry", he sobbed. "I've missed you all a lot, but Sho-chan has always been by my side, and..."

" _Okaeri_ ", Ohno interrupted him, approaching him with a warm smile on his lips.

Masaki looked at him for a few seconds and then hugged him.

" _Tadaima_ ", he replied.

I approached the two of them and ruffled Masaki's hair with affection.

"Some things never change", I said. "You're still the same crybaby from three years ago"

He looked up and laughed.

"Your eyes are sparkling, Jun"

"My eyes?", I snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about"

I looked away, feeling my cheeks slightly blush, and noticed Nino staring at the floor, clearly uncomfortable. He was frowning and wouldn’t stop shuffling his feet.

"Shall we go?", I cleared my throat, looking at my three friends.

Sho nodded as Ohno and Masaki separated.

"Where do you want to go?", he asked.

"We had thought about my place", I said, looking at Nino as a sign of complicity. "I've been redecorating, and wanted to take the chance to show it to you"

"Are we going to be the first ones to see your place?", Masaki asked with excitement.

"Yeah, well. Something like that"

"I've already seen it", Nino showed a mischievous smile.

Sho laughed, though I could see a blush on his cheeks.

He hadn't changed much since the first time he'd hired Ohno, when he didn't even know his name yet. I was sure that he was very different in private, but in public he was always too polite, modest even.

We caught the train to Tokyo station together, and changed lines there to reach Akihabara, where I had bought an apartment some months ago. It was a good area, easy to access, thanks to the different transport connections, and Nino's job was there, so it was easier for him to spend the night at my place.

"Ready?", I said, inserting my key into the lock.

"Jun!", Masaki whined.

I laughed and unlocked the door, letting them in.

" _Jan_! This is my home sweet home"

Masaki made his way between the other three and went around the whole place, gasping every two seconds and continuously repeating how much he liked it. Ohno followed him in silence, glancing at everything with curiosity. Nino entered the living room, where he made himself comfortable right away. Sho, on the other hand, stayed in the hall. First he looked at everything around him, with a polite smile on his lips, and then he looked at me, waiting for permission to enter.

"Aren't you going to come in?", I asked him

"Yeah, sure", he replied right away. "I was waiting for..."

"Go with Ohno and Masaki, come on", I interrupted him, chuckling.

He was surprised at first, but then he smiled and followed after my two friends.

I shook my head, wondering if he would ever manage to feel more at ease around us. It's true that he had gotten better over the past three years, but both Nino and I felt that he still had a long way to go.

Since Sho, Masaki and Ohno were too busy touring my apartment, I took the chance to enter the living room, where Nino was stretched out on my couch. I smiled when I saw him, and he returned a playful smile accompanied by a gesture with his hand, motioning for me to sit down beside him.

"I'm glad to see you feel at home", I said as I approached him.

"What are you talking about?", he chuckled. "I spend more time here than at my place. I can hardly remember the last time I slept in my own bed"

"That would be yesterday, Nino", I laughed, sitting down next to him.

"Really?", he said, with a subtle tone. "Then I should stay here today, to make up for it"

"Make up for what?"

"My absence last night"

I raised an eyebrow.

"And who said I missed you?"

Nino laughed.

"I don't need anyone to tell me", he ran his finger along my jawline, and leaned in slowly, whispering. "I just know"

I placed my index finger on his lips, staring at him.

"I wouldn't be so sure"

Nino didn't reply.

He opened his lips just enough to stick out his tongue, and ran it down the length of my finger. I continued staring at him, and noticed my breath getting heavier. Nino stopped at the tip of my finger and played with his tongue there, staring right back at me, causing a wave of heat to run from my back up to my neck.

"Stop it", I whispered. "We aren't alone"

"I know", he smirked. "And you can't imagine how much it turns me on..."

I couldn't hold back anymore and pushed him back on the couch, then pounced on him to kiss his lips with force, desire, and passion. Nino knew that any little provocation from him excited me, and he also knew that the fact that we weren't alone multiplied my excitement endlessly. If our three friends entered the room at that moment it'd be embarrassing, but it was the fear of being caught that excited me the most.

Nino couldn't stand still either. He kissed me back just as hungrily and passionately, as he grabbed my ass with both hands and kneaded it. I grabbed his hair with my hand and pulled his head back, completely exposing his neck and leaving it at my full disposal. I ran my tongue down its length, from top to bottom, and ended up kissing the mole on his chin. That mole drove me crazy.

"You're a hazard, Ninomiya", I whispered, trying to catch my breath.

"You think so?", he smiled. "Do you want me to show you how dangerous I can be?"

Before I could reply, Nino was already moving one of his hands over the front of my pants, but I grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Don't worry, I think I can imagine it ", I chuckled.

He chuckled with me and kissed my lips, this time more relaxed than before.

We heard the steps of our friends approaching down the hall, so we both sat up on the couch and fixed our clothes and hair. Since I was busy fixing my shirt, Nino took the chance to quickly squeeze the front part of my pants. I slapped his hand away as a reflex and clicked my tongue, though I chuckled right away when I saw him snickering.

"I can't get distracted around you for a second", I told him.

"You know you can't", he replied, winking at me.

Our friends entered the living room at that moment. Masaki quickly sat down on the loveseat that was on the right hand while Sho and Ohno took the larger couch that was to the left. Their hands were interlaced, and they both wore identical rings on their fingers.

"You have a beautiful place, Jun", Masaki said. "The wallpaper you chose for your bedroom has a lot of character. It's perfect for you!"

"Thank you", I replied absentmindedly.

Sho caressed Ohno's hand with his thumb, and the two looked at each other with a foolish smile on their lips. They might've been looking at each other like that all day, but I hadn't noticed it until that moment. It was then when Ohno slightly sat up, and slowly leaned in to kiss Sho's lips.

I raised an eyebrow, and I could hear Nino clear his throat.

"That's enough sugar for today you two. You're going to make us all sick", said my boyfriend.

Sho and Ohno looked at us, as if they had just realized that we were in the same room. Ohno looked down and shyly giggled, while Sho smiled at us, bowing his head.

"I'm sorry", he apologized. "Satoshi and I are living a very special moment, perhaps the best of our lives"

"Are you pregnant?", Nino asked.

I elbowed him, he chuckled.

Far from being annoyed, Sho chuckled as well.

"No, we can't defy the laws of nature for now", he naturally replied. "But we did defy some other laws"

He became silent and turned to Ohno, who looked up and warmly smiled at him.

"Sho-chan, you're scaring me. What did you guys do?", Masaki exclaimed.

"It's nothing horrific", Sho said, looking back at us. "Satoshi and I... We got married"

Sho's cheeks turned red as he showed us the matching rings on their fingers.

I couldn't get over my astonishment. I knew that they'd adored one another since they'd first met, and about the strong bond that had formed between them after all they‘d gone through when Ohno was still an escort. I knew very few couples that understood and loved each other the way they did, but getting married sounded much too serious. Even for them.

"Really?!", Masaki jumped up and ran to hug Sho. "Congratulations, Sho-chan!! I'm so glad for you!!", he let go of Sho and grabbed Ohno's hand. "Oh-chan, you aren't going to find a better husband than Sho-chan. You'll see, he'll take care of you like no one else can"

"He already does", Ohno shyly chuckled.

"I'm so happy for the two of you!! But, why didn't you invite me to the wedding?"

"We didn't have a wedding", said Sho. "We got married on our last trip to Norway. Just the two of us"

"I don't want to be a party pooper", I cleared my throat. "But, don't you think it was a rather rushed decision?"

"Sho and I had been thinking about getting married for some time now", Ohno replied. "He had already asked me to marry him a few months ago, but since it isn't legal here, we had to look for another place to do it", he looked at Sho, and then looked back at us. "The trip to Norway was perfect opportunity to make it a reality"

"You never said anything", I said, surprised. "We didn't even know you were thinking about getting married"

"We didn't want to say anything because we didn't know if it'd be possible", Sho explained. "And at the same time we were afraid that if we spoke about it, we'd end up jinxing our dream"

"I see", I nodded. "Well, congratulations to the both of you"

I smiled, feeling somewhat jealous, and they thanked me.

Now that I had heard the whole story, I didn't think it was such a serious decision anymore. Actually, I thought it was a very romantic idea, getting married in a foreign country, but I knew that being with Nino, it would never be possible. He was allergic to everything that had to do with commitment, even when he had been my partner for three years.

"So it was Sho who started it all, right?" said Nino, with a mischievous smile on his lips. "How was it, Oh-chan? Did he get down on one knee and pull out a ring?"

Ohno's face became red.

"Yeah", he replied with a smile. "He put on his suit, the same one he wore the day he confessed to me, got down on his knee and asked me to marry him, holding a beautiful ring"

Sho shyly chuckled.

"Come on! That's so old-fashioned!", Nino laughed.

"I think it's very romantic", I said.

Nino looked at me surprised.

"You think it's romantic?", he blinked.

"Yeah", I nodded. "Actually, I'm getting jealous watching them and listening to their story"

"You can't be serious", said my boyfriend, not getting over his surprise.

"I'm being very serious"

"Nino, why don't you ask him to marry you?", Masaki proposed. "In South Africa, people of the same sex can get married. Since I couldn't attend Sho-chan and Oh-chan's wedding, I would love to attend yours"

"Are you kidding?!", Nino exclaimed. "I'm not getting married!!"

"Don't you love Jun?", Masaki pouted.

"What? This doesn't have anything to do with that. Of course I love him!", Nino's cheeks became bright red. "But I'm not as nuts as you guys"

I grabbed my boyfriend's hand with affection and smiled at him.

"It's okay, Nino", I calmed him down. "We're fine like this. It was just a romantic fantasy"

"I was excited about you getting married in South Africa, though", said Masaki. "Since I can't travel to Europe, I would've loved to attend your wedding there"

"We'll have to wait until you find a partner to attend a wedding", I chuckled. "Just imagine you end up marrying one of those handsome westerner doctors you work with"

We all laughed, but Masaki blushed slightly.

"Well, there is one I kind of like... but we're just getting to know each other..."

"Really?!", Sho exclaimed.

Masaki nodded.

"He isn't a doctor, he's just a volunteer, and we aren't a couple or anything like that"

"Yeah, but you're getting to know each other better", said Nino, with a mischievous tone in his voice. "That means there's something there"

"No... or well, yeah... I don't know... Time will tell", Masaki replied.

He gave us some more details about his western co-worker, at Nino and Ohno's request, and told us how they'd met each other. Then, Ohno and Sho told us the entire adventure of their wedding in Norway, with romantic and funny details, and after hearing the whole story, I felt I would've loved to live something like that. They looked happy and more united than ever.

When night fell, I invited them to stay for dinner, but Masaki said that he hadn't seen his family yet and his mother was dying to hug him, and Ohno and Sho said they had already made reservations for a table a week ago at one of the Sky Restaurants in Shiodome. So we said our goodbyes, saying we'd call each other to meet again before Masaki went back to Africa, and when I closed the door I found Nino staring at me.

"You look creepy, staring at me like that", I chuckled. "Are you staying tonight?"

"Were you serious?"

"About what?", I raised an eyebrow.

"Earlier, when you said you thought Oh-chan and Sho's story was romantic, that you were jealous, and all that"

"Yeah, of course", I smiled. "But don't worry, it was just a romantic notion. Really"

"Would it make you happy?"

I chuckled and shook my head.

"Stop thinking about it, Nino. I'm happy being with you, it doesn't matter if we're married or not", I walked down the hall to the kitchen. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Will you marry me?"

I froze and turned around, with my eyes widened.

"What?"

"Marry me. In South Africa"

"Nino, no...", I blinked, still in shock.

"I know I'm not wearing a fancy suit", he rolled his eyes. "And I didn't buy you an expensive ring, but I want to make you happy. Marry me, Jun"

I felt tears welling in my eyes.

I ran to him and hugged him, kissing his lips with feeling.

"Yes, I will", I said. "I will marry you. Of course I will"

Nino brushed some bangs off my forehead and smiled.

"We'll have to start thinking about the details then. And I guess I'll have to buy you a ring", he chuckled. "Though I'm not sure I'll be able to find one at your level"

"You don't have to buy me anything, Nino. I'm happy just like this. Immensely happy"

"Will you still be this happy when you have to change your surname to Ninomiya?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Ninomiya? Dream on"

"If you're going to be my husband, you'll have to become Ninomiya Jun"

"And why can't you become Matsumoto Kazunari?"

"Obviously because my surname has more prestige"

"Are you saying that mine doesn't have any?"

He shrugged.

"I won't kill you only because you make me so happy that I feel like my heart's going to explode", I chuckled.

Nino smiled and caressed my cheek.

"Are you really happy?"

"Very", I smiled back. "Thanks, Nino. For everything"

"Thank you, for being with me"

"Are you happy?"

"Do you really need to ask me?"

A year later we traveled to South Africa.

Nino and I left Tokyo a month before the wedding, to make sure everything went smoothly on the most important day of our lives. Masaki joined us a week before we married, taking on a great part of the stress of the last preparations, and brought with him the western guy he had told us about, who was now his partner. Ohno and Sho arrived the day before, since Sho had one of his trips to Europe and couldn't arrive earlier. And I was happy to share such an important day with our three friends.

It was a new stage in our relationship, but it wasn't the end.

It was merely an interlude.

A reinforcement added to our wings to keep us flying together.


End file.
